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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246056">Soulmate September 2020</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmuse0609/pseuds/musicmuse0609'>musicmuse0609</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Aromantic Character, Asexual Character, Deaf Character, Multi, Oneshot Prompts Challenge, Tags to be added, Trans Character, Trans Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:14:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>42,720</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246056</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmuse0609/pseuds/musicmuse0609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of oneshots based on prompts for Soulmate September.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Logic | Logan Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders &amp; Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil/Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders &amp; Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>121</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>119</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Day One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm not sure that I'll respond to all the prompts, but I'm sure going to try! Many of these will probably be unedited, or may just be introductions to ideas that I could flesh out later. But I've never done a challenge like this before, and I'm excited to try it.</p><p>Day One: Your soulmate's name is written on your wrist or palm.<br/>Pairing: Prinxiety</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Edit: Hello! This is musicmuse from the end of the month to provide you with a little perspective on this project! I didn't end up doing all the prompts. Instead, I did some of the prompts and fleshed out my idea from Day One, turning it into an eight-part multi-chapter fic. If you enjoy the first chapter, feel free to use the chapter index to skip to the proceeding parts of the story. Or you can read all of it. Or read all the parts for Day One first and then go back through and read the rest. It's up to you! Choose your own adventure!</p><p>However you decide to read this fic, I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Virgil Storm hated Roman Prince, for no other reason than that everyone loved him, which he found to be annoying. His best friend, Patton, was obsessed with Roman, and even though Virgil liked to tease him, he did try to be supportive. Patton listened to Panic! at the Disco and MCR with him, so it was only fair for him to listen to Roman's music with Patton. Besides, Roman did have some bops, not that Virgil would ever admit it.</p><p>Patton tried to convince Virgil that even though Roman was a celebrity, he was still an authentic person. "Did you know he writes all his own music?" "He said in an interview that he takes a month off from working every year to spend time with his family, isn't that sweet?" "He's really private about his soulmate. He wears a glove to keep their name hidden, and he won't even reveal their gender." Virgil wasn't impressed with that last one. A lot of people wore gloves to hide their soulmate's name, including Virgil, and it was common for celebrities to hide the names of their soulmates. But at least Roman wasn't one of those people who would announce the name of his soulmate as a publicity stunt.</p><p>It didn't matter how much Patton tried to make him a Roman Prince fan; Virgil refused to relent.</p><p>One day, when Virgil got out of class, he read a text from Patton. <em>There's a new Roman Prince interview! Come watch it with me, it's supposed to be a big one!</em> It was the last thing Virgil wanted to do. No, wait, homework was the last thing Virgil wanted to do, so why not spend some time with Patton to procrastinate?</p><p>Virgil went to Patton's dorm, and when they were both seated comfortably on Patton's bed, Patton pulled up the YouTube video on his laptop.</p><p>It started, or course, with applause from the audience while the host and Roman waved. Roman smiled with his perfect teeth, and Virgil steeped in his hatred of Roman's smug face. When the cheers died down, the host began. "Welcome, Roman Prince!" The crowd cheered again while Roman beamed. Virgil was already sick of watching him, and they were only fifteen seconds in. Patton's eyes were shining, though, and Virgil reminded himself that he was doing this to be supportive. The host spoke again. "Let's get right into it. Your new album, <em>Storm Cloud</em>, will be released next week, is that right?"</p><p>"That is correct," Roman confirmed, still smiling at the host.</p><p>"Will you tell us a little bit about what we can expect from the album?" The host asked.</p><p>"But of course!" Roman said. Virgil almost gagged at his cheesiness, while Patton swooned at the sound of his voice. "Throughout the course of my career--heck, even before I became a professional musician--I've been writing songs for my soulmate that were never released."</p><p>Patton paused the video. "He hasn't met his soulmate yet," he reminded Virgil, and pressed play.</p><p>Roman continued. "This album is a compilation of those songs. It's unique because it's a journey through the way my style had changed over the years."</p><p>The audience cheered. The host asked, "Why were these songs withheld, and what is your motivation to release them now?"</p><p>"Fantastic questions," Roman praised. Virgil glowered at his flattery. "Originally, I wanted to keep these songs private so I would have something personal to bestow upon my love when we do meet." A chorus of <em>aww</em>'s came from the audience and Patton, while Princey's flowery language made Virgil roll his eyes. "Now, however, I have decided I'm done waiting, and I'm doubling down on my efforts to find them!" Patton cheered along with the crowd.</p><p>The host said, "Let's talk about the title of the album. <em>Storm Cloud</em> seems like a strange name for a collection of love songs, does it not?"</p><p>Roman looked directly into the camera. "I trust my soulmate will understand its significance." He winked.</p><p>"Oh," Patton said, "so that's why people online have been speculating all day that his soulmate's name is Storm. Hey!" He turned to Virgil. "It could be you!"</p><p>Virgil made a <em>pfft</em> noise. "It's not, I promise you. My soulmate's name isn't Roman Prince."</p><p>In the video, the host prompted, "And you won't share that significance with us?"</p><p>"Not today," Roman said, "but I do have an announcement to make, if you don't mind."</p><p>"An exclusive? Go right ahead!"</p><p>Roman looked down at his lap, fidgeting with his red glove, and his body language becoming uncharacteristically shy. He took a deep breath. "Roman Prince is a stage name."</p><p>Patton gasped along with the audience. Virgil could feel his own eyes going wide. His name wasn't Roman Prince? If he used a fake name, how did he expect his soulmate to be able to find him?"</p><p>The host was shocked too. "Well, that's certainly a development, isn't it, folks? And Roman, what was the reasoning behind hiding your name?"</p><p>"My real name is rather common, and I didn't want to be swarmed by people thinking I was their soulmate. I had hoped my fame would allow me to reach them--that's why I do so many meet-and-greets. Unfortunately, none of my adoring fans have borne the name imprinted on my palm, so I've had no reason to share my own name."</p><p>"Tell us what it is, tell us what it is," Patton chanted under his breath.</p><p>"I don't suppose you'll reveal your real name for us tonight?" The host asked.</p><p>"I will, only in the hope that this interview will reach my soulmate." Roman's voice had changed, and Virgil could hear the earnestness in it. He had to admit that the anticipation had him on the edge of his seat just as much as Patton. Roman looked directly at the camera, no smile this time, and he said, with all sincerity, "My name is Thomas Sanders."</p><p>The crowd went wild, and Patton started bouncing up and down. Virgil's mouth fell open, and his stomach dropped. His anxiety skyrocketed, and he struggled to breathe. He recognized that name. He removed his own glove silently and stared at the name on his palm. Patton, in his excitement, almost missed what Virgil was doing. Almost. But he registered Virgil's shock and sneaked a glance at his newly-unveiled hand. When he read the name, he screamed with joy.</p><p>The name of Virgil's soulmate was Thomas Sanders, which he would have chalked up to a coincidence if it weren't for the title of the album.</p><p>Patton must have realized this too, because he shouted, "Your soulmate is Roman Prince!"</p><p>Roman stared at the screen as Roman--Thomas--continued to banter with the host as he lost all hope of ever meeting his soulmate. After all, how was he supposed to meet an international pop sensation?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Day Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There is a timer that counts down to when you will meet your soulmate.<br/>Pairing: Analogical</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had taken Virgil seven years after graduating high school to go back to school. He had finally grown tired enough of working fast food and retail jobs to work up the motivation to enroll in his local community college. He still didn't know what he wanted to be, but this was a good first step.</p><p>Not that he wasn't anxious, because he absolutely was. It had been a long time since he had taken a class, and he hadn't exactly liked school before he graduated. He had also never been to college before, so he had no idea what to expect. Not to mention that his timer was close to going off. If he'd calculated it right, he would meet his soulmate on the first day of classes.</p><p>He double and triple checked to make sure he had filled out all the paperwork and made all the right payments to allow him to register for classes. He bought his too-expensive text books. He made sure he had a parking pass and that he had read all the rules so he wouldn't get a citation. He read all the material he had been given as a first-time student for how to be successful in college. By his first day of classes, he was ready, even though he didn't feel like it.</p><p>It was 8:49 in the morning when Virgil parked to make it to his 9AM astronomy class. Logically, he knew he was looking forward to it, but he was too anxious to think logically. He had hoped to get there sooner so he had time to find his class and still be early, but there had been more traffic than he'd anticipated. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that his timer would go off that day, but that thought took a back seat to the ones that were directing him to get to class on time.</p><p>Luckily for his anxiety, the building was well-marked, and he found the room with relative ease. He slid into his seat by 8:56. The professor wasn't even there yet. His instinct was to sit in the back of the room, but some of the advice he'd been given to be a successful student was to sit at the front of the room. There was no way his anxiety would allow that to happen, so he compromised and sat in the middle. When he was seated, he pulled out his textbook and notebook to take notes, though few others seemed to do so. He tried not to pay attention to everyone else. He was determined to be ready for this class.</p><p>As Virgil waited for the class to start, the second hand of the clock steadily rounded its face, marking the passage of time. He was nervous, and he just wanted to get it over with, but the professor still wasn't there. At first, Virgil doodled to distract himself. But the next time he looked up at the clock, he saw that it was 9:03, and he continued to stare at it. Where was the professor? What would he do if they didn't show up? He was paying good money to be here, and he didn't want to waste it. What Virgil didn't realize was that he was staring at the wrong time-keeping device.</p><p>Finally, the door opened, and in walked a man with a laptop bag looking professional if a bit frantic. "Good morning, class," he said as he got situated at the large desk at the front of the room. "Apologies for my tardiness. It won't happen again. My name is Logan Sanders, but you may call me Dr. Sanders--" He was interrupted by a beeping. He looked around--everyone did--until he realized that the sound was coming from his wrist. The class realized what was happening, that Dr. Sanders was introducing himself to his soulmate, and everyone checked their own wrists, including Virgil. His eyes went wide as he stared at the blinking zeros.</p><p>Dr. Sanders was his soulmate.</p><p>Virgil was mortified. Dr. Sanders was clearly older than him, and not by an insignificant amount of years. He wasn't old by any means, but there had to be as least ten years between them. Besides, he had never really been into the whole teacher/student thing. He shoved his hand into the pocket of his hoodie to muffle the noise coming from it.</p><p>Meanwhile, Dr. Sanders was glancing around the room, trying to find the matching timer. When no one came forward, he cleared his throat. "Well, clearly I have a lot to talk to someone about after class. In the meantime, welcome to Astronomy 101."</p><p>He moved on as if nothing had happened, passing out the syllabus and explaining the structure of the class, but Virgil was too anxious to pay attention. How could his soulmate be his professor? He debated whether he should stay after class and come forward. Dr. Sanders clearly hadn't caught him, so it was entirely possible for him to avoid the whole situation. But was it cruel of him to withhold himself from Dr. Sanders? He had waited at least three decades to meet his soulmate, and Virgil was just going to dip out on him? But the glorious thing that Virgil realized was that he didn't have to make a decision today. He would have Dr. Sanders' class all term, so he had time to think about it. At the end of class, he made a beeline for the door, feeling guilty that Dr. Sanders would be disappointed not to meet his soulmate.</p><p>Virgil took more time to think about it than he intended. The longer he went without revealing himself, the more comfortable he became with the idea of keeping things just as they were. Dr. Sanders didn't press the students to tell him whose timer went off. In fact, he never brought it up again, instead choosing to focus on the lectures.</p><p>Dr. Sanders' class quickly became Virgil's favorite. The topic was interesting, and Dr. Sanders was a fantastic teacher. He was engaging, passionate, and articulate. He would go on about space with a fond smile on his face which Virgil couldn't help but find endearing. Virgil found himself looking forward to the class, and he couldn't even find it within himself to resent the assignments.</p><p>But as the end of the term drew nearer, he knew he had a decision to make.</p><p>The last day of class was review for the final, and just like with the first day, Virgil couldn't pay attention. He still hadn't made up his mind about whether to be honest with Dr. Sanders. He was terrified that Dr. Sanders would reject him for the age difference. Or that he would reject him because he didn't like him. Or reject him for no reason at all, which he knew was ridiculous because one thing he had learned about Dr. Sanders was that he was a very reasonable man. But he still couldn't shake the anxiety.</p><p>He decided to at least stay after class and approach Dr. Sanders. Maybe he would be brave enough to tell him, or maybe he would bail. But there was only one way to find out.</p><p>Virgil anxiously watched the clock as the end of class drew nearer. He was starting to build himself up so he would be ready, but his efforts were cut short when Dr. Sanders ended class early. So much for encouraging himself. While everyone rose, Virgil stayed put. He took his time putting his things away as other students approached Dr. Sanders to ask him last-minute questions. Virgil stayed glued to his seat, waiting for the room to clear out so it was just the two of them. Dr. Sanders noticed him but didn't call him out, thank goodness.</p><p>Finally, the last student left, and they were alone. "Virgil?" Dr. Sanders prompted. "Is there something I can help you with?"</p><p>Virgil stood with a jerk, making his way to the front of the class. He felt like his mouth was glued shut, and he could feel how wide his eyes were. Dr. Sanders' brow furrowed with concern. When Virgil was standing directly in front of Dr. Sanders, he almost chickened out and ran. But he was caught in Dr. Sanders' eyes, dark blue like the night sky, and there was so much care in them. He had never given Virgil a reason to believe he would reject him. So he just had to take the leap of faith.</p><p>He made up his mind.</p><p>He shoved his wrist in Dr. Sanders' face and said, in a voice that sounded scared even to him, "My timer was the one that went off on the first day of class." He gulped.</p><p>Dr. Sanders' eyes widened. He looked down at his own timer and back up at Virgil. he asked, in monotone, "How old are you?"</p><p>Virgil dropped his wrist. "Twenty-five."</p><p>As if the tension was leaving him all at once, Dr. Sanders slumped, sighing and collapsing against his desk. "Thank god. I've been scared for weeks that my soulmate was underage. We have sixteen-year-olds in this class."</p><p>Virgil cringed. He knew some of his peers looked young, but he didn't know they were literal children. He could have saved this man a lot of grief if he hadn't been such a coward. "Sorry, Dr. Sanders."</p><p>He held out a hand. "Please, call me Logan. And you have nothing to apologize for. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you to have to process that your soulmate is one of your professors. There's a power disparity between us, and I must admit that it's not a situation I'm fond of."</p><p>Virgil shifted his weight. "Me neither.</p><p>Dr. Sanders--Logan--put his hand on his chest. "I'm thirty-six, by the way, in case you were curious. I'm sure you were hoping your soulmate would be closer to your age. I know I was."</p><p>Virgil nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>"But, just because we're soulmates doesn't mean we have to be romantically involved. I don't know how familiar you are with platonic soulmates, but I've known quite a few. It's not an uncommon as society would have you believe. Or, I could be a mentor figure to you. There are many options available to us. We don't even have to be in each others' lives at all. Whatever you're comfortable with."</p><p>Virgil gave him a once-over. "You ramble when you're nervous, don't you?"</p><p>Logan adjusted his glasses. "Is it that easy to tell?"</p><p>"No, I just know anxiety."</p><p>"That's right, you have an anxiety disorder."</p><p>Virgil looked down. "And as my professor, you already know that about me?"</p><p>"I was informed of your need for testing accommodations."</p><p>Virgil nodded. "Ah."</p><p>"But I'm curious to know your thoughts on our situation."</p><p>Virgil took a moment to think, and Logan let him. Finally, he said, "I mean, it's comforting to know that you don't expect us to be in a relationship. I don't think I could handle that."</p><p>"That's entirely reasonable."</p><p>"But I do want you to be in my life. You're a cool person, and I want to get to know you better."</p><p>"Yes, perhaps getting to know each other outside the classroom setting is the best course of action. We can allow our dynamic to develop naturally. But I am pleased to hear that you want me to play a role in your life, as I would like you to play a role in mine. I value your contributions to my class, and I would like to get to know you better as a person."</p><p>Virgil smiled. "Really?"</p><p>Logan smiled back. "Indeed."</p><p>Virgil checked the time, and he realized he couldn't stay any longer. "I have to go to work now, but I'm glad I came up and talked to you."</p><p>"I am grateful for it as well. Enjoy the rest of your day, Virgil."</p><p>Virgil knew he wouldn't, but he felt more at ease after their conversation. He was hopeful about the future. it was a feeling he was unfamiliar with, but it wasn't unpleasant. he walked to the door. "Thanks. See you later, Logan."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Day Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You have an animal that only you and your soulmate can see.<br/>Pairing: Moxiety</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm not quite as happy with this one as I am with the other two, but I'm going to post it as it is so I don't get stuck on it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Mommy, there’s a spider in my room!” Six-year-old Virgil was scared of spiders. And bugs. And most things in general. His mom grabbed a shoe so she could squish it. But when she got to his room, she couldn’t see anything. Virgil pointed. “There! It’s right there! It’s really big.”</p><p>She realized what was going on. She giggled. “Virge, there’s nothing to be afraid of! That’s your soul animal.”</p><p>“What’s a soul animal?” Virgil asked without taking his eyes off the spider.</p><p>“It’s a special animal that only you and your soulmate can see. I can’t see it, but someday, someone else will be able to see it, and that person will be your soulmate. It can’t hurt you because it <em>is</em> you, in a way.”</p><p>Virgil was still scared. “If I tell you where it is, can you step on it?”</p><p>“I can’t touch it, sweetie. It’s metaphysical.”</p><p>“What’s met-i-fiz-al?”</p><p>“<em>Metaphysical</em>. It means that it’s only kind of real. It can’t be killed as long as you’re alive. It’s an extension of you.”</p><p>Virgil didn’t really understand what Mommy was saying, but it sounded like the spider wasn’t going anywhere. And even though Mommy tucked him into bed and rubbed his back until he was sleepy, he couldn’t sleep that night. He watched the spider until his eyes drooped, only to jolt himself awake again. The spider didn’t move, which was both good news and bad news. Good news because it didn’t get any closer to him, but bad news because it didn’t go away.</p><p>After several days, the fear faded, and Virgil learned to accept his companion. In the years that followed, it just became a normal part of his life. It stayed in his room, eventually building a web in the corner and living there. It became comforting to Virgil, like a consistent friend. Many times, he even forgot it was there. Although, he didn’t know how he was supposed to meet his soulmate if his soul animal stayed in his room.</p>
<hr/><p>Virgil met Patton as a sophomore in high school. They were in the same Spanish class together. They got along well, and being in the same class as Patton gave Virgil something to look forward to in his day. Patton seemed to enjoy Virgil’s company, as well, though for the life of him Virgil didn’t understand why. He wasn’t exactly a ball of sunshine the way Patton was, but hey, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and all.</p><p>At the end of the semester, they were assigned a group project. The teacher put them in groups based on their last names, so Virgil Storm and Patton Sanders were placed in a group with Logan Smith and Roman Thomas. Virgil wasn’t looking forward to working with either of them, since Logan was a know-it-all perfectionist who would no doubt take over the project, and Roman was a jock with an empty head. But he was in the same group with Patton, so there was that.</p><p>They agreed on a day to meet at Virgil’s house after school. Unfortunately, on the day in question, Roman had a basketball practice he had forgotten about, and Logan was sick, which just left Virgil and Patton to work on the project. Virgil asked Patton whether they should just cancel the session altogether, but Patton was still enthusiastic about getting to spend time with Virgil, which Virgil was grateful for.</p><p>They rode the bus to Virgil’s house, and Virgil showed Patton to his room. They got out their Spanish materials, setting to work brain-storming ideas for the project, when Patton suddenly jumped up from the floor and stood on the bed. Virgil looked up to see his terrified expression, and he wondered what was going on. He didn’t have to wonder for long.</p><p>“Spider!” Patton cried.</p><p>It wasn’t the first time Virgil had seen Patton react this way to a spider. Once, they had been in class when one had appeared on the window, and Patton had dashed to the other side of the classroom, completely cowering in fear. Virgil knew the feeling, what with experiencing debilitating anxiety himself, and he sympathized with Patton’s phobia.</p><p>Virgil looked around the room. Due to his soul animal, spiders didn’t bother him anymore. He scooped up one of the papers from their Spanish homework, ready to coax the offending arachnid onto it and take it outside. But he didn’t see anything. “Where?”</p><p>Patton pointed to the middle of the room. “How can you not see it! It’s huge!”</p><p>Virgil looked to where Patton was pointing. There was no spider there. Except—</p><p>Except for his soul spider that no one else could see. Well, no one but Patton—</p><p>Oh. <em>Oh</em>.</p><p>A slow smile spread on Virgil’s face, and he looked over at Patton’s, which was still a mask of fear. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt you,” he said, parroting his mother’s words from nearly ten years prior.</p><p>“<em>That’s what they all say</em>,” Patton whispered, still afraid.</p><p>Virgil scooted his soul spider onto the piece of paper in his hand, and it diligently obliged. He carried it over to Patton, who collapsed onto the bed and cowered in a ball against the wall. Virgil made sure to stop a safe distance away so as not to get the spider too close to Patton. “Patton,” Virgil said. “I’d like you to meet my soul spider.”</p><p>It took Patton a minute to process Virgil’s words. “Oh! I can see your soul animal! That’s exciting, but can we celebrate <em>after</em> you get it away from me?”</p><p>Virgil acquiesced, carrying the spider to its web and coaxing it off the paper. When it had settled, Patton looked a bit more at ease, but he still sat on the bed with his knees against his chest. He didn’t take his eyes off the corner that held the spider’s web, and Virgil noticed. “Don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere.”</p><p>“How can you be so calm about the fact that your soul animal is a spider?” Patton asked.</p><p>“Nothing like a soul spider to cure your arachnophobia,” Virgil reasoned. “Seriously, though, I was scared at first, too. I think I stayed a awake for a solid week after I saw it for the first time. But you just kind of get used to it, you know? And now, spiders don’t freak me out at all.”</p><p>“Lucky,” Patton muttered.</p><p>“But hey,” Virgil said, “Would you rather talk about the fact that we’re soulmates?”</p><p>A smile bloomed on Patton’s face. “We’re soulmates!” His eyes lit up. “Oh! I’ll have to introduce you to <em>my</em> soul animal. It’s a frog. I named him Lilypadton!”</p><p>Virgil smiled at his soulmate. “Of course you did.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Day Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There's a trail of color only you can see that marks out where your soulmate has been.<br/>Pairings: Logicality, Logince, Royality (in other words, Patton/Logan/Roman)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I struggled with this one, but here it is!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Patton got off work early, and he was excited to get home and spend the day with his soulmate. He and Logan had been together since high school, and Patton was grateful to have met his soulmate so young. It hadn't always been easy--they were both different people now than they had been as teenagers--but it had always been worth it. Patton loved Logan, and he wouldn't trade his relationship with his soulmate for anything.</p><p>When he got closer to home, he saw a trail of dark blue that led both to and from their home, the telltale sign that Logan had left their house at some point and came back. This alone was not unusual. What caught Patton's attention was the trail of red that accompanied it.</p><p>Patton had another soulmate? Patton had another soulmate! And Logan had met them, and they were both at their house, and Patton would get to meet them, too!</p><p>Sure enough, the twin paths led to Patton's driveway and into the house. He parked the car and made his way inside.</p><p>Patton followed the trails through the house. Logan had led their third soulmate into the kitchen, where they had spent some time. The red trail went directly to one of the chairs at the table, where their third soulmate had presumably sat down. The blue trail wound its way throughout the kitchen, where Logan must have prepared food or something to drink before sitting down to join the other at the table. At some point, they both moved to the couch, where they had sat next to each other. Judging by the marks, Patton could guess that they sat remarkably close together for having just met. They must have been getting along well. The trails didn't stop there--obviously, since neither person was present. They led toward the stairs. Patton jogged up the stairs as he traced the marks, eager to meet this mystery person.</p><p>As he got closer to the bedroom, that eagerness faded, replaced with dread.</p><p>It didn't bother Patton that the trails led to the bedroom he shared with Logan. What bothered him were the noises that were coming from their room. And maybe he shouldn't have walked into a room where such noises were being made, but he had to see for himself what was happening before he accused Logan of cheating.</p><p>He quietly opened the door.</p><p>It wasn't as bad as Patton had feared. They laid over the neatly-made covers, still partially clothed with their lips locked. Still, Logan was laying with another man only partially clothed, and even though they hadn't gone that far, things were clearly heading in that direction.</p><p>Patton stood there, frozen, unable to do anything but watch. It felt like something was stabbing him in the heart, and tears welled up in his eyes. He gripped the door handle, unsure of what to do. They still hadn't noticed him. He could leave, if he really wanted to. Pretend that he hadn't seen anything. But they were both his soulmates, and they would be able to see that he had come upstairs and stood in the open door. He might as well announce his presence now.</p><p>He knocked on the door.</p><p>Logan's head shot up and turned toward Patton. When he recognized him, his eyes widened, and his jaw fell. The other man looked up, too. He propped himself up on his elbow. "Who are you?"</p><p>Logan stammered, not taking his eyes off Patton. Finally, he said, "That's Patton, my other soulmate." The tears fell from Patton's eyes. He was the "other" soulmate to Logan?</p><p>He turned and ran.</p><p>He made a beeline for the front door. He heard Logan behind him. "Patton!" But he didn't stop. He threw the front door open and slammed it behind him. He skipped the car--he didn't trust himself to drive when he was upset like this--and he just kept running.</p><p>It didn't take long for him to run out of breath--he wasn't exactly in shape. He saw that his legs had carried him to the neighborhood playground, which was empty, thank goodness. He didn't want to run anymore. He was tired of running. He made his way over to the swings and sat down on one, not caring whether they were made to hold the weight of an adult.</p><p>He wondered whether Logan would come after him. It wouldn't be hard. All Logan would have to do was follow the light blue trail that he left behind. But if what Logan had said was true--that he considered Patton, his partner of ten years, his "other" soulmate--then why would he bother chasing him? It may have been premature, but he sat there and grieved the loss of his relationship.</p><p>After a while, he heard wood chips crunching from behind him. He didn't turn around. Someone came and sat on the swing next to him. He heard a sigh, and he recognized Logan's voice. "I'm sorry."</p><p>Patton didn't say anything. He just continued crying.</p><p>"I didn't mean for things to go that far. It just sort of--happened."</p><p>"It must be nice to finally have a soulmate who can be sexually attracted to you." Patton knew it wasn't a fair thing to say, to Logan or to himself, but he was beyond the point of caring.</p><p>"You know I don't care that you're asexual."</p><p>"Hard to believe it sometimes," Patton muttered.</p><p>"Especially when you come home to find me with another man, I presume."</p><p>Patton nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>Logan sighed again. "I know I should have talked to you first. I knew it the whole time Roman and I were--" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "I don't know what came over me."</p><p>"That's his name?" Patton asked. "Roman?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>Patton sniffed. "How'd you meet him?"</p><p>"I was on my way home from the grocery store when I missed a turn. I went around the block to turn around, and I passed a local theater. I saw a red trail outside, so I parked and followed it. That's where I found him."</p><p>"And you invited him back to our house?"</p><p>"It was just supposed to be to talk to him."</p><p>More tears welled up in Patton's eyes. "You know that doesn't make me feel better."</p><p>"Hopefully this will." Logan stood up and knelt in front of Patton. "I still love you. You're still my soulmate and my partner. Roman doesn't change that, and I won't do anything else with him until we talk about it. I hope you can find it in within yourself to forgive me."</p><p>Patton nodded. "I'm still sad and hurt, and I think it will take me some time. But I still want to be with you if you still want to be with me. And I want to meet Roman. He's <em>my </em>soulmate, too."</p><p>"And you are his. He could see your color after you left." Logan stood and dusted off his pants. "Are you sure you want to talk to him after what you saw?"</p><p>Patton wiped his eyes. "I'm sure."</p><p>Logan held out his hand. "Then let's go meet our soulmate."</p><p>Patton took it and stood. "Let's go."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Day Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Any intense emotions your soulmate feels, you will also experience.<br/>Pairing: Prinxiety</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Content warning for anxious thoughts and self-deprication</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roman was practicing singing when he started to feel it. His soulmate’s anxiety was getting worse again. It happened quite frequently, and he had learned to tune it out. He focused on the sheet music he was reading. The song he was practicing was a bit somber, and he had been eliciting feelings of sadness in order to get the delivery he wanted. But that became harder and harder the more his soulmate’s anxiety built. The nerves took over his chest, and they started to get to his head. What if he was never good enough? What if all this hard work was for nothing?</p>
<p>Quickly, he reminded himself that these thoughts were counter-productive, and they were the result of feelings that weren’t even his own. He took some deep breaths to ground himself. Unfortunately, the anti-anxiety measures did nothing to quell the fear mounting in his chest because it wasn’t his anxiety. Only his soulmate could get them out of it. But either his soulmate wasn't doing anything to fight the anxiety, or their techniques weren't working. His soulmate was trapped in their anxiety attack, and Roman with them.</p>
<p>But Roman knew how to help.</p>
<p>Roman grabbed his phone and a pair of headphones. He opened his music app and scrolled through his playlists, selecting the one he had made specifically for these occasions. The empathy connection went both ways, so if Roman could transmit feelings of calm and happiness, he could give his soulmate a lifeline. A soft piano melody filled his ears, and he closed his eyes. He pushed his soulmate’s anxiety attack aside, focusing on his own tranquility. He took deep breaths in time with the music to reinforce the calming effect. By the end of the song, he felt the tension drain out of his muscles, and he relaxed.</p>
<p>The music changed, turning to a song that was a little more upbeat. Roman had been hoping for another calming song, but that was what he got for putting the playlist on shuffle. Very well. He shifted his focus to remembering things that made him happy. Good memories from his childhood. The thrill of performing. Hitting a note perfectly. The ways he imagined meeting his soulmate. The possibility that someday, he could help them through their anxiety attacks in person. Pretty soon, he was singing along, an activity that brought him joy like no other.</p>
<p>The playlist cycled through song after song, and Roman got so caught up in his own emotions that he didn’t even notice the anxiety dissipating. It wasn’t until Roman caught sight of his sheet music again that he remembered what he had originally been doing and what had interrupted him. He took a deep breath, unencumbered by anxiety, and he smiled as he released it. Maybe his own efforts weren’t the cause of the anxiety attack passing, but he liked to think that they were, that he was helping his soulmate even though they had yet to meet.</p>
<p>Now that he was calm and happy, he didn’t want to return to the mournful tune he had been practicing. Roman riffled through his sheet music to find a different song to practice.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Virgil hugged his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth. His anxiety had been bad all day, but now it was getting worse. His soulmate was sad; he could feel it. And he couldn’t shake the idea that it was his fault. His inability to get his anxiety under control was hurting his soulmate. It was one thing for his anxiety to hurt him, but for it to claim his soulmate as a victim, too? Unacceptable.</p>
<p>He struggled to breath as the anxiety mounted to an attack. Stupid stupid stupid. Why was he such a failure? Why couldn’t he do something right for once? His soulmate probably hated him for struggling so much and affecting their life with it. And he deserved it. He was ruining his soulmate’s life, and they hadn’t even met yet. Part of Virgil hoped they never met, so he couldn’t make his soulmate’s life worse than he already did.</p>
<p>Just as the anxiety threatened to suffocate him, a wave of calm washed through him. It took the edge off, and Virgil was able to relax just a fraction. But the calmness wasn’t coming from him. It was coming from his soulmate. His soulmate was firmly, forcefully calm. It felt like his only stability in an storm of emotion. He latched onto that feeling, clung to it like a lifeline. He used it to start pulling himself out.</p>
<p>After a few minutes, the strong sense of <em>calm</em> turned to <em>joy, happiness, warmth. </em>Despite the anxiety still choking him, Virgil smiled. Virgil’s anxiety tried to spin it, telling Virgil that his soulmate was happy he was suffering. But Virgil knew this wasn’t true. He could feel it. These emotions that his soulmate was experiencing, they weren’t the natural result of their circumstances. They were intentional. His soulmate was making themself feel tranquil and happy to help counter Virgil’s anxiety. And that made him so <em>happy</em>, that his anxiety didn’t affect his soulmate the way he feared it did, that they wanted to help.</p>
<p>And it <em>was</em> helping. Virgil could breathe again. He used this ability to take deep breaths, to use the breathing techniques he had learned from the internet to beat back the anxiety with a stick. It wasn’t much, but it was working. Pretty soon—sooner than he could have ever hoped—all he could feel was his soulmate’s joy. He had successfully reduced his anxiety to a dull roar, and he was even feeling his own joy. Whoever his soulmate was, they were truly special, and he couldn’t wait to meet them.</p>
<p>He decided to change the playlist he was listening to so the angsty music didn’t bring him down.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Day Six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When your soulmate is injured you will experience pain in that area.<br/>Pairing: Prinxiety (implied LAMP--kind of)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I interpreted this as "When your soulmate feels pain, you feel the same pain." And then I took that and ran with it.</p>
<p>Fair warning: There's nothing explicit or graphic in this one-shot, but considering the nature of the prompt, there are elaborate descriptions of the characters being in a lot of pain. Please take care of yourselves if that is something that will make you uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Content Warning: swearing, food mention</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Virgil was taking his final when it happened. He felt cramping in his abdomen, but it wasn’t his own. His soulmate was in pain, and Virgil could feel it. Virgil’s muscles tensed in sympathy with his soulmate’s pain, and he doubled over in his seat (as much as the desk would allow). <em>Not now,</em> he thought. <em>Can’t this wait until later?</em> The test he was taking was timed. He didn’t have time to wait for these episodes to pass.</p>
<p>It wasn’t the first time it had happened. No, the first time had woken Virgil up from a nap. It caught him off-guard, and he cried out, curling in on himself. The pain was so intense that at first he couldn’t distinguish whether it was his soulmate’s pain or his own, and his mind went to the worst-case scenario, that his appendix had burst and he was dying. But the pain subsided, and Virgil gasped for air, unaware that he had been holding his breath. As the pain dulled, Virgil realized that it was coming from his soulmate, not him, and he calmed down. Once it had passed, Virgil tried to rub the soreness away, forgetting that he couldn’t affect the aching in his soulmate’s body.</p>
<p>It happened periodically over the course of the week, and Virgil had yet to figure out what it was. Some sort of stomach bug? The worst indigestion ever? He was fairly certain his soulmate was AFAB, and he would have concluded that their periods had come back, but the cramps had never been this bad before.</p>
<p>His soulmate’s menstrual cycle was something that had baffled him for years. As a young teenager, he started to feel his soulmate’s cramps every month, and it hurt, but he understood. His soulmate was AFAB, that was just part of the deal. Then, around the time he turned twenty, they just stopped, like his soulmate wasn’t having periods anymore. Or, if they were, they no longer got cramps, which was nice for Virgil. And then, a year ago, the period cramps started back up again, only to cease a few months later. What was going on with them?</p>
<p>And now the cramps were back and cranked up to eleven on a scale from one to ten. But Virgil couldn’t think about that right now because he was taking a test.</p>
<p>The pain passed, and Virgil hoped that would be the end of it, that it would be an isolated event like the others had, and he wouldn’t have to worry about having another one. Unfortunately for him, in the time it took him to finish his test, he experienced two more cramps, and, counting the first one, that was three more than he wanted to feel. He turned in his test, grateful that he was going to get to go home and lie down.</p>
<p>As he left the building and started his trek home, he realized that getting there was going to be harder than it sounded. It wasn’t just the cramps; there were aches and pains all over his body. Whatever his soulmate was going through, they were having a bad day, and it was affecting Virgil. His legs shook, and he felt weak. Walking was becoming more difficult as he became aware of the sensation of something pressing down on the inside of his pelvis. “Pain” wasn’t the right word for it, but it was an unpleasant pressure that must count as pain if Virgil was feeling it. It felt like something was trying to force its way out of him. It felt like—it felt like—</p>
<p>Another cramp ripped its way through Virgil’s abdomen, and he collapsed onto the sidewalk. It was a controlled fall, and he ended up in a sort of crouch. He gritted his teeth against the pain as it worsened, determined not to scream in the middle of campus. He balled his hands into fists, squeezing nothing to endure the pain. He just had to wait for this one to pass. He could get home before the next one started. Probably.</p>
<p>“Hey there, stranger! Bad day?”</p>
<p>It took Virgil a minute to realize someone had stopped in front of him, and said person was addressing him. He glared up at the man. “Go away,” he growled, in no mood to be polite.</p>
<p>“Bad day for sure. You didn’t even realize that I almost ran over you!”</p>
<p>Ran over—? Oh, the guy was holding a unicycle, of all things. Virgil tried to stand, almost immediately collapsing back in on himself. The man held out his hand to Virgil, which Virgil <em>did not</em> want to take, but there was no other way he would be able to get back up. Virgil grabbed the guy’s hand, and he tried to pull Virgil up, but Virgil resisted, waiting for the cramp to pass. When it started to wane, Virgil tugged on the man’s arm, leaning heavily on it as the man pulled him up. When Virgil was standing, he got a good look at his good Samaritan. The guy had a peach fuzz mustache, a lock of gray hair in his fringe, and an excitable look in his eye (excitable being the kind way of saying crazy). He was smiling, if you could call it that. It was more maniacal than comforting. “Thanks,” Virgil said reluctantly.</p>
<p>“Do you need someone to take you to a doctor?” The man asked, looking excited at the prospect.</p>
<p>Virgil shook his head. “No, I’m okay.”</p>
<p>The man gave him a skeptical look. “Mmm, I’m pretty sure that people who are doubled over aren’t okay.”</p>
<p>“It’s not me, it’s my soulmate. I think,” Virgil didn’t know what was possessing him to want to be honest with this guy, but he’d helped him out so far, and maybe it would get him to leave Virgil alone. “I think my soulmate is in labor.”</p>
<p>“Ouch! That’s a doozie!” The man exclaimed, his smile not falling. “Do you want to come back to my place? I can take care of you until it’s over.”</p>
<p>Virgil decidedly did <em>not</em> want to go anywhere with this guy, especially since he didn’t look like he had a “caring” bone in his body, and Virgil wondered if he had an ulterior motive. But he felt like any attempt to walk on his own would end with him falling to the ground again. He didn’t want this guy’s help, but he needed it. “Fine,” Virgil grumbled.</p>
<p>The guy jumped up and down and clapped. “Yay! This is going to be so much fun!”</p>
<p>Virgil wanted to know what the hell he was so excited about, because the next several hours weren’t going to be fun for him. “Sure, whatever. Can you, like, support me so I don’t fall again?”</p>
<p>“Of course!” he swung Virgil’s arm over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around Virgil’s waist, carrying the unicycle in his other hand. “I’m Remus, by the way.”</p>
<p>“Virgil,” Virgil said.</p>
<p>They started walking. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Virgil. And if I’m right, pretty soon you’ll be glad you met me!”</p>
<p>Virgil had no idea what the fuck <em>that</em> meant, but what could he do other than go with it? “Sure I will,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Remus lived in the campus dorms, so his room was closer than Virgil’s apartment. As he recovered from the contraction he’d had on the street, his steps became stronger, and by the time they reached the building, he was walking on his own. Unfortunately for both of them, Remus lived on the top floor, and the building didn’t have an elevator. Virgil stared at the stairs, daunted. There was still the uncomfortable pressure in his pelvis, and he rubbed his stomach in a fruitless effort to dissipate it. This would not be easy or pleasant. He held onto Remus again as they took the stairs one at a time. It was slow going, but they finally made it to the top. Virgil walked on his own again as Remus led him to his room. He unlocked the door and excitedly ushered Virgil inside.</p>
<p>The first thing Virgil saw was the whole-ass man sprawled out on one of the beds, presumably Remus’s roommate. Virgil grimaced. He didn’t want an audience for what was going to happen. He realized that he never should have agreed to this in the first place.</p>
<p>“I’m home!” Remus announced as he closed the door behind him. “And I brought someone I want you to meet!”</p>
<p>“Are you serious?” The figure grumbled without looking up. “I told you not to bring anyone over today! Why do you never listen to me?”</p>
<p>“Because you’re my brother, and I don’t have too.” The maniacal smile was back. “Besides, if I’m right, you’ll thank me.”</p>
<p>“Right about what?”</p>
<p>Virgil was wondering the same thing.</p>
<p>The figure on the bed lifted his head, and Virgil recognized him. “Roman?”</p>
<p>Roman recognized him, too. “Virgil?”</p>
<p>Remus glanced between them, smile faltering. “Oh, you two know each other?”</p>
<p>“We’re in the same Spanish class,” Roman explained. “Why would you bring Virgil to our dorm when you know my soulmate is having contractions?”</p>
<p>Virgil’s eyes widened, and Remus answered, “Because his is, too!”</p>
<p>Roman’s head whipped from his brother to Virgil and they stared at each other for a few seconds before they both doubled over. Virgil hissed in pain as Roman grunted and curled on his side. Virgil propped himself up with a dresser, determined to stay on his feet. He closed his eyes, letting himself not care about Roman or Remus to focus on bearing his pain. Well, not <em>his</em> pain, but the pain he was experiencing. The pain which Roman was evidently experiencing, as well.</p>
<p>“Scream as loud as you want!” Remus encouraged. “Hell, I’ll scream with you if it will make you feel better!”</p>
<p>“Not helping, Remus,” Roman gasped.</p>
<p>But a low groan escaped from Virgil throat, and he had to admit that it helped a little. He clutched his stomach, and he realized he wasn’t breathing. He took shallow, gasping breaths. It was the best he could do.</p>
<p>Finally, the cramping subsided, and Virgil was able to support his own weight. He stood up straight (gay) again, but the pressure was still there, and Virgil shifted his weight relieve it, to no avail. When he looked over at Roman, he was in a similar state, rubbing his lower abdomen and groaning.</p>
<p>Roman looked over at Virgil, then back to his brother. “That proves nothing.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Virgil chimed in, “I’m sure it was just a coincidence.”</p>
<p>“Oh?” Remus challenged. “It’s a coincidence that you both had a contraction that started and ended at the same time? Sure, okay. But when you realize that you share a soulmate, remember that I called it first!” He turned to Virgil. “Feel free to lay down on my bed, if you want. Make yourself at home!”</p>
<p>Virgil shook his head. “No thanks, I’d rather walk around.”</p>
<p>Roman rolled over onto his back. “How can you <em>walk</em> right now?”</p>
<p>“How can <em>you</em> lie down?” Virgil countered, starting a loop around the room.</p>
<p>Roman covered his face with his hands. “Remind me again why he’s here?”</p>
<p>Remus answered, “You two share a soulmate—”</p>
<p>“Supposedly,” Virgil interrupted.</p>
<p>“—and that means that you’re probably soulmates, too!”</p>
<p>“Woah, woah, woah!” Virgil exclaimed. “No one said anything about being anyone’s soulmate.”</p>
<p>“There’s an easy way to find out. One of you pinch yourself, and if the other feels it, you’re soulmates!”</p>
<p>At that moment, Virgil, who wasn’t paying close attention to where he was going, ran into a box of books, forcefully stubbing his toe. A string of curses escaped his mouth, and when he quieted down, he realized he wasn’t the only on swearing.</p>
<p>“That works!” Remus said excitedly, glancing between Virgil and Roman.</p>
<p>Virgil looked over at Roman at the same moment Roman looked at him. “You felt that, too?” Virgil asked.</p>
<p>“That, or my soulmate just happened to stub their toe at the same time you did,” Roman said.</p>
<p>“No, this <em>can’t</em> be a coincidence. You two are soulmates,” Remus insisted.</p>
<p>Virgil and Roman looked at each other. They had been in the same Spanish class all term. How could they know each other for months and not realize they were soulmates? But with the evidence right in front of their eyes, it was impossible to deny.</p>
<p>Virgil limped over, Roman watching him the whole time, and he leaned his weight on Roman’s bed by his legs. Roman propped himself up on his elbows. Virgil sighed. “I guess there could be truth to what you’re saying.”</p>
<p>Roman nodded. He put his hand on his stomach. “At least we don’t have to go through this alone.” He turned his head to look at his brother. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thanks, Remus.” Remus beamed.</p>
<p>Virgil wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t rather be alone, but if he had to be around people, at least those people were his soulmate, who was going through the same thing, and his soulmate’s brother, who was supportive of them. “Thanks, Remus,” Virgil said reluctantly. Remus jumped and clapped again. “And speaking of not going through things alone, as long as I’m here, we might as well study for our Spanish final.”</p>
<p>Roman looked at him like he was crazy. “For real? You’re in the worst pain you’ve ever experienced in your life, and you want to <em>study</em>?”</p>
<p>“No, of course I don’t want to study. But the contractions are still really far apart, and if I’m gonna stay here until it’s over, then I’m gonna be here for a while. We might as well do something productive until—” He cut himself off.</p>
<p>“Until?” Roman prompted.</p>
<p>Remus chimed in, smiling maniacally. “Until you’re in constant agony!”</p>
<p>Roman rubbed his face. “What did I do to you growing up that you’re excited to see me hurt like that?”</p>
<p>“You’re my brother. Do I need a better reason?”</p>
<p>“So,” Virgil interrupted, “studying?”</p>
<p>Roman rolled off the bed and started rifling through a backpack, pulling out loose papers and piling them on a textbook that was laying on his desk. When he was done, he grabbed the whole stack, sat down on the floor, and spread the papers out. “Where do you want to start?”</p>
<p>“Do you have the study guide?”</p>
<p>Roman searched through the papers. “It’s here somewhere. . .”</p>
<p>Virgil rolled his eyes at Roman’s lack of organization. Virgil kept his papers organized because he was anxious of losing anything. How were they soulmates? But he sat down next to him, grabbing the textbook and opening it. He settled in, preparing himself for the long wait.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It took them three hours to get through the study guide twice. In that time, they counted eleven contractions, each more intense than the last. They were pretty evenly spaced out for the first two hours, rolling in with about twenty minutes in between, and then the last half clustered in the third hour as they started getting closer together.</p>
<p>“I can’t study anymore,” Roman gasped as they came down from the strongest contraction yet. “My brain is fried, and it hurts too much.”</p>
<p>Virgil was in a similar state. “Same.” He took several deep, intentional breaths to try to calm himself down. Roman copied him. “So, what do you want to do?”</p>
<p>Virgil watched as Roman rubbed his stomach, even though he had to know it wouldn’t help. “When I’m having a bad day, Disney movies always cheer me up. You want to watch one? We have a whole bunch on DVD.”</p>
<p>Virgil nodded, and Roman began the arduous task of getting to his feet. Remus noticed him struggling. “I can get it if you want.”</p>
<p>Roman sat back down. “That would be super.”</p>
<p>“—califragilistic—” Remus added.</p>
<p>“—expialidocious!” The brothers finished together. Virgil couldn’t help but smile at their antics.</p>
<p>“Speaking of the biggest word you ever heard, how about <em>Mary Poppins</em>?” Roman offered.</p>
<p>“I prefer <em>Black Cauldron</em>, if you have it, but I can get on board with that.”</p>
<p>“But <em>Black Cauldron</em> doesn’t have any songs!”</p>
<p>“I know, it’s perfect.”</p>
<p>“We do have <em>Black Cauldron</em>, by the way,” Remus said. “We have the whole collection!”</p>
<p>“We’re a Disney family,” Roman clarified.</p>
<p>“And you can probably watch both, since your soulmate will probably be in labor for a while longer.”</p>
<p>Virgil didn’t want to think about how much longer this would last. “Let’s just start with <em>Mary Poppins</em> and make the next decision after that. One thing at a time.”</p>
<p>Remus helped Roman and Virgil up so they could move to Roman’s bed. Roman had a pile of pillows to use to help both of them get comfortable—well, as comfortable as was possible while enduring the phantom pain of having a baby. Remus fetched the DVD and Roman’s laptop, which had a DVD player. While Roman set up the movie, he asked, “Remus, do you want to join us? There’s plenty of room on the bed.”</p>
<p>“Nah, I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it. I’m going to go get food.” He gave them both a coy smile. “And whatever happens between you two while I’m gone is none of my business!” He left.</p>
<p>Virgil leaned over to Roman, grimacing. “Is he implying that we’re going to have sex while we’re both having labor pains?”</p>
<p>Roman closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “This is what I live with every day.” He clapped. “Anyway, the movie’s ready.”</p>
<p>As the movie started, Virgil tried very hard to focus on the music and not on the pain in his pelvis that was threatening to rip him in half. He was actually enjoying Dick Van Dyke’s performance as Bert, but it wasn’t long before another contraction started. As the pain built, Virgil realized that there was something different about this one. The pain was sharper than the cramping they’d been experiencing up until now. Virgil couldn’t help the yell that escaped him, and he covered him mouth to muffle it. They were in a dorm, after all. Roman, on the other hand, let out an unabashed shriek, and even though Virgil could feel the agony behind it, the sound shook Virgil to his core. He didn’t like the idea of his soulmate being in pain, even though he knew that was just how the world worked. Pain was how you found love.</p>
<p>He reached over and grabbed Roman’s hand, hoping that Roman would find the gesture comforting. Roman’s scream abruptly cut off, and he looked over at Virgil. Their eyes met, and Virgil could see gratitude behind the pain. In a moment, the pain impossibly worsened, and they broke eye contact. The screaming continued, but this time Roman had Virgil’s hand to squeeze, and Virgil had Roman’s. They gripped each other, each drawing strength from the other. When the contraction finally passed, the tension drained from their muscles, and they collapsed, letting the pillows support them. Virgil breathed heavily as he recovered. He turned his head to find Roman looking at him with an expression he couldn’t read. “What?” Virgil asked.</p>
<p>Roman glanced down at where their hands were still grasping each other.</p>
<p>Virgil gave Roman’s hand a quick squeeze. “Problem?”</p>
<p>As an answer, Roman intertwined their fingers, slotting his neatly between Virgil’s. He then squeezed Virgil’s hand in return. He turned his attention back to the movie that was still playing, but a small smile played on his face. Virgil couldn’t stop his own lips from twitching upward. <em>Roman liked holding his hand</em>. The thought set off butterflies in his stomach.</p>
<p>When he had woken up that morning, he didn’t think he would end up holding hands and watching a movie with his literal soulmate. But hey, he also hadn’t expected to experience the worst pain ever. Life was unpredictable like that.</p>
<p>The afternoon continued in a similar fashion, with the soulmates enduring contraction after contraction and watching <em>Mary Poppins </em>in between. Roman paused in the middle of <em>A Spoonful of Sugar</em>, and Virgil’s initial assumption was that he enjoyed the song and didn’t want the current contraction to take away from it. But he pulled out his phone and searched for something, even through the mounting pain, and he started playing a different song. Virgil didn’t recognize it until the chorus, which they reached at the zenith of the contraction, and then he wanted to punch Roman in the face.</p>
<p>
  <em>Agony! Beyond power of speech, when the one thing you want is the only thing out of your reach. . .</em>
</p>
<p>It was “Agony” from <em>Into the Woods</em>. Was this a joke? “Fuck you,” Virgil choked out between gritted teeth, and Roman started coughing laughter. Humor achieved, he stopped the song and pressed play on his laptop.</p>
<p>Remus returned halfway through the movie, and he smiled gleefully when he saw Roman and Virgil holding hands. Virgil almost let go out of spite but then decided it wasn’t worth it. True to his word, Remus screamed along with them. He seemed to be enjoying himself, and Virgil couldn’t help but think of Remus’s behavior as <em>feral</em>. However, at the same time, he did get them both water bottles and granola bars when Roman asked. He may have had chaotic tendencies, but Virgil was coming to realize that he didn’t actually mean them any harm.</p>
<p>By the time the movie was ending, the contractions were too close together for them to be able to pay much attention to it. The credits started rolling as another one started. Three screams echoed through the room. Roman slammed his laptop shut and shoved it off his lap so he could curl into a ball. Virgil didn’t blame him. Roman squeezed the hell out of Virgil’s hand, and Virgil squeezed right back. Something about the contact made it marginally easier to withstand the pain.</p>
<p>After the worst of the contraction had passed, Roman let go of Virgil’s hand (which made Virgil sad, but he would never admit it), and he shifted so that he was lying down on his side, resting his legs over Virgil’s lap. Virgil rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes, succumbing to the prolonged agony.</p>
<p>“You wanna watch another movie?” Roman asked in a strained voice.</p>
<p>“Can’t focus,” Virgil admitted in a voice that was equally as strained.</p>
<p>“Could be good background noise.”</p>
<p>In response, Virgil gave an ambiguous groan.</p>
<p>Roman reached out his arm. “Come cuddle.”</p>
<p>Virgil glared. Lying down was about the last thing he wanted to do. Then again, so was sitting. And existing in general. He leaned over and scooched until he was properly spooning Roman. He draped an arm around Roman’s middle, rubbing small circles over his stomach even though he knew with wouldn’t help. The repetitive movement was comforting for him. It must have been comforting to Roman, too, because Roman relaxed fractionally and sighed. They settled next to each other, anticipating the next contraction.</p>
<p>Instead, there was a sharp, stabbing pain in his back. Virgil hissed, and Roman cried out. It lasted for several seconds before withdrawing.</p>
<p>“What the fu—did you feel that?” Virgil asked.</p>
<p>“Of course I did; we’re soulmates.”</p>
<p>“What do you think it was?”</p>
<p>But Virgil got his answer as the pain started to fade, all of it. The pressure in his pelvis, the residual soreness from the contractions, the back pain, all of it dulled until it was gone. It left nothing but the soreness of Virgil’s own muscles from being tensed all day, which, relative to the contractions, was nothing. A slow smile spread of Virgil’s face.</p>
<p>Roman rolled over in Virgil’s arms, bringing them face-to-face. He was beaming. “It’s an epidural. Our soulmate got an epidural!”</p>
<p>“It’s over,” Virgil breathed.</p>
<p>“We did it, Virgil!” Roman cheered. He wrapped his arms around Virgil and pulled him close, burying his face in Virgil’s shoulder. Virgil wanted to point out that they didn’t do anything but scream and hold hands a bunch. Instead, he tightened his arms around his soulmate, appreciating just being close to him. He had always been apathetic about meeting his soulmate, but he had to admit that it felt nice to be held and to hold someone in return.</p>
<p>Remus interrupted when he said, “That was fun! We should do it again sometime.”</p>
<p>“No,” both soulmates said at once, and they giggled at their synchronization, giddy from the lack of pain.</p>
<p>Virgil knew himself, and he knew that after being around people continuously for this long, he should be ready to be alone. But he was surprised to find that he wasn’t ready to go home. He wanted to spend more time with Roman, and he didn’t even mind that he had to be around Remus for that to happen. Maybe they really were soulmates.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Virgil began shyly, “Can we watch <em>Black Cauldron</em> before I leave? Just so I have the chance to, like, recover and stuff,” he said, attempting to cover up his desire to stay.</p>
<p>“Do you like <em>The Nightmare Before Christmas</em>?” Roman suggested instead. “If we watch that one, I can sing to you.”</p>
<p>The offer set off the butterflies in Virgil’s stomach again. “Sounds like a plan.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Day Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>There is a string tied around your pinky that only you can see, the end of it leads to your soulmate.<br/>Pairing: Logince, background Moceit</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Content warning: internalized aphobia</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was common for people to go on quests to find their soulmates, to follow the strings until they found the person on the other end. People would share stories about how they found each other, and those stories always centered around the strings.</p>
<p>Roman would go on no such quest.</p>
<p>He remembered dreaming about his own quest when he was younger, but his parents told him he had to wait until he had graduated high school, and then he could search for his soulmate the summer before he went to college. He’d been upset at the time. He wanted to meet his soulmate as soon as possible, and his parents were keeping them from him.</p>
<p>Now, as an adult, he understood their intentions, that middle school was too young for people to go seeking out their soulmates. Furthermore, he was grateful that they had held him back from doing something he would regret.</p>
<p>Roman had never had a crush. He assumed that that was normal, that people didn’t have feelings for anyone but their soulmates. He figured that when the time came, when he meet his soulmate, that he would feel love and finally understand what was so wonderful about it.</p>
<p>But when he got to high school, his friends discussed their crushes like Roman was supposed to understand what they were talking about. They gushed about how wonderful this person or that person was, and they knew they couldn’t be with them because they weren’t soulmates, but wouldn’t it be nice if they could? The adults around him encouraged him to explore those feelings so he would know how to love when he did meet his soulmate, not realizing that for Roman, those feelings were absent.</p>
<p>He worried endlessly about his lack of affection for people. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about the people close to him; of course he did. His family was important to him, and he valued his friends above all else. But that seemed to be the extent of his ability to feel love. He looked it up on the internet one day to see if there was something wrong with him. That was how he found the identity <em>aromantic</em>. It was comforting to know that there were people out there like him who also didn’t feel romantic love, and it was reassuring to read validations about how being aromantic was perfectly normal and that he still deserved companionship.</p>
<p>But he couldn’t shake the idea that he was a failure for not feeling love, and he was scared of not being able to love his soulmate. This was what caused him to develop a fanciful, flamboyant personality. He was already an actor; why not practice by pretending that the idea of love inspired him? It allowed him to hide, even from himself. No one had to know that every day after school, he collapsed onto his bed, completely exhausted and needing to be alone after a full day of acting. And through it all, the string tied to his hand reminded him that there was someone out there he was destined to disappoint.</p>
<p>After he graduated, he didn’t go on his quest like he had planned. Instead, he signed up to be a counselor at a summer theater camp. It gave him a good excuse, that he was gaining experience and that he would find his soulmate when he was more established. For a similar reason, the threw himself into his schoolwork, graduating in three years instead of the intended four due to all the courses he took over the summers.</p>
<p>During this time, he worked on unlearning the internalized aphobia he had suffered from during his adolescence. He trained himself not to be ashamed of his identity, and he instilled within himself a sort of private pride that allowed him to accept himself. However, he remained tight-lipped about his identity to everyone else, choosing to identity simply as queer and sometimes using gay as an umbrella term to describe himself.</p>
<p>All the while, he dreaded the day his soulmate would come looking for him.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It had been three years since he graduated from college. He worked as the drama teacher at his local middle school and as a custodian at a local theater to earn some money on the side. It was humble work, but it was enough to make a living. He had his sights set on a private school a little ways away, which would be a longer commute for him but would mean an increase in salary. He didn’t give much thought to his identity anymore. He was busy making lesson plans and grading and paying bills and calling the plumber to fix the sink and getting the oil changed in his car and sometimes performing in local shows as a volunteer actor. He had a full life. Although, he might have been lonely if it weren’t for his roommate and best friend, Patton, who he had met in college and who meant the world to him. They spent time together every evening, even if that just meant sitting next to each other scrolling through their separate devices. They went on “friend dates” once a week to keep their friendship from becoming stale. Patton had accepted that Roman had no interest in meeting his soulmate, even though Roman had never explained why. He had gone back and forth with himself about whether to be honest with Patton about his identity. Logically, he knew he had nothing to worry about. Patton had always been accepting (sometimes too accepting for his own good). But Roman couldn’t bring himself to actually do it, and the longer he went without telling Patton, the less he cared whether or not Patton actually knew. Patton knew who he was as a person by this point. Why did labels matter?</p>
<p>Roman was getting ready for one of their friend dates—he liked to get dressed up, since they were the only dates he ever went on—when there was a knock at the door. Patton called, “I’ll get it!” and he didn’t think anything of it. It was probably Janus, Patton’s soulmate, who was coming with them to the aquarium. Roman wasn’t jazzed for Patton’s soulmate to accompany them on what was supposed to be a platonic outing, but he had nothing against Janus as a person, and Patton promised that they would keep their romantic affection to a minimum.</p>
<p>Due to the thin walls of their apartment, Roman could hear the exchange at the front door from his room.</p>
<p>“Hi there!” Patton greeted, sounding as cheerful as ever.</p>
<p>“Hello,” an unfamiliar voice greeted in return. “Apologies for bothering you at home.”</p>
<p>Oh, so it was probably someone going door to door?</p>
<p>“No worries! How can I help you?”</p>
<p>“I don’t believe you can, if you are the only resident of this apartment. I’m looking for—actually, I don’t know who I’m looking for, but I’ll know when I find them.”</p>
<p>Patton gasped. “Are you looking for your soulmate?”</p>
<p>Roman froze. No. It couldn’t be, not after all this time. He looked down at the string tied to his finger, and sure enough, it pointed in the direction of the front door.</p>
<p>“Indeed. I’ve been following my string for quite some time now, and I believe it has led me here; however, you are not the bearer of the other end.”</p>
<p>“No, I already know my soulmate. But hey, I think I know who you’re looking for!”</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>“Yeah! Hold on a sec.” Roman heard the door close, and he listened as Patton approached his room. He knocked.</p>
<p>Roman started struggling to breathe. No. He couldn’t do this, he wasn’t ready. Why did his soulmate have to show up now, when things were going so well?</p>
<p>Roman opened the door to find Patton beaming on the other side. “Hey, Roman! There’s someone here to see you!”</p>
<p>“I know, I heard,” Roman admitted.</p>
<p>Patton must have seen the reluctance on Roman’s face, and his smile fell. “Are you not excited to meet your soulmate?”</p>
<p>Instead of answering, Roman stepped out of his room, passing a confused Patton. “Let’s just get this over with.” As he walked to the door, he heard Patton follow him. When he reached the entryway, he grasped the handle and turned it, revealing the person on the other side.</p>
<p>The man was dressed casually, wearing a polo tucked into a pair of jeans. He had glasses not unlike Patton’s, behind which was a shrewd expression. There was intelligence in those eyes, and Roman had to admit that he was daunted. This man with prefect posture and a tie was his soulmate? He found that hard to believe.</p>
<p>But the string between them linked their fingers, the telltale sign of a soulbond.</p>
<p>Upon Roman’s appearance, the man glanced down at his—their—string to see the exact same thing Roman did, and he smiled. Granted, it was reserved for the smile of a person who had just found their soulmate, little more than the uptick of the corners of his mouth, but he did look pleased with himself.</p>
<p>“Salutations,” the man greeted Roman overly-formally. “My name is Logan Berry. Yes, that is my real name. No, my parents did not know that Logan is the name of a real berry when they named me. Come to think of it, I’ve never had a loganberry, but I have had loganberry jam, which I enjoy very much.” He seemed to realize what he was doing, and he looked down at the ground. “Apologies, I appear to be rambling, which I do when I’m nervous. I’m going to stop talking now and let you introduce yourself.” He looked back up expectantly at Roman.</p>
<p>Roman stood there for several seconds considering what to do. On the one hand, He wanted nothing to do with Logan, and he wanted Logan to go away. On the other, he knew that that impulse was just a defense mechanism for his fear of rejection, and Logan seemed genuinely charming. However, there was no spark between them like he had heard other people describe when they met their soulmates. He cared for this man about as much as he would care about any stranger who came to their door, which was to say that he didn’t. But how was Roman supposed to tell him that?</p>
<p>Logan was still expecting a response. Roman supposed he could give him the bare minimum, at least. “Roman,” he said. “My name is Roman.”</p>
<p>Logan smiled again. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Roman. I hope to get to know you in the coming months.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Roman replied lamely.</p>
<p>They stood there in awkward silence as neither of them knew what to say. Eventually, Logan said, “I like your outfit. Are you dressed for any particular occasion?”</p>
<p><em>Just my date with Patton</em>, Roman thought. Then he realized that maybe being honest with Logan would be the best way to get him to go away. “I have a date.”</p>
<p>Roman almost missed the way Logan’s eyebrows pinched together ever so slightly. “Oh?”</p>
<p>Roman gestured behind him. “With Patton.”</p>
<p>“Hmm?” He heard Patton say behind him.</p>
<p>“And Patton is. . .?” Logan prompted, brows drawing farther together.</p>
<p>“My roommate,” Roman answered, letting Logan fill in the blanks.</p>
<p>If his disappointment was anything to go by, he filled in those blanks exactly how Roman intended him to. “I see,” Logan said. “I appear to be intruding. Please excuse my interruption. I hope you enjoy your date.” He turned and dashed away. Roman was relieved to see him go.</p>
<p>Although he did feel a pinch of guilt when he turned around to find Patton with his hands on his hips. “Why did you lie?” Patton demanded.</p>
<p>“I didn’t lie,” Roman defended. “Everything I said was the truth.”</p>
<p>“But you were misleading. The way you said it made him think we’re dating.”</p>
<p>“So?” Roman countered.</p>
<p>“So, why would you do that to him? He’s your soulmate!”</p>
<p>“So what!” Roman burst. “Everyone puts so much emphasis on soulmates, and heck, on romantic relationships in general. I’m sick of it! You don’t need a soulmate to be happy. I’m perfectly happy being single and living with you.”</p>
<p>Patton looked down. “Roman, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this, but we can’t live together for the rest of our lives. Eventually, I want to live with Janus. Just the two of us. And I don’t want you to be alone when that happens.”</p>
<p>Roman was stunned. He hadn’t seen this coming. Perhaps he should have.</p>
<p>Patton continued. “And then, your soulmate—<em>your soulmate—</em>is literally delivered on your doorstep, and you turn him away? He’s your other half!”</p>
<p>“I don’t have an ‘other half!’” Roman yelled.</p>
<p>Patton looked confused. “What do you mean? Don’t you have a string? Wasn’t your string attached to Logan’s? Logan seemed to think it was.”</p>
<p>Roman realized that he could lie. He could say that no, he didn’t have a string, didn’t have a soulmate, that Logan was wrong. Patton would believe him. It would be so easy.</p>
<p>But then there was the part of Roman that was tired of the lying, and the evasiveness, and the acting. He was tired of hiding. Patton was his best friend in the world. He didn’t have anything to be afraid of.</p>
<p>But he was afraid. He’d spent so much time covering up his identity that he didn’t even know how to be open about it.</p>
<p>Ultimately, he decided to try.</p>
<p>Roman sighed. “Perhaps it’s more honest to say that I don’t <em>want</em> an ‘other half.’”</p>
<p>Patton’s confusion didn’t ease. “I don’t understand. You don’t want a soulmate?”</p>
<p>Roman hugged himself and looked down at the ground, voice dropping. “I don’t want any romantic relationship.”</p>
<p>It was quiet for a few beats before Patton asked in a small voice, “Roman, are you aromantic?”</p>
<p>Roman sighed and nodded without lifting his head.</p>
<p>“Look at me?” Patton requested.</p>
<p>Roman looked up to see the love and concern on Patton’s face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”</p>
<p>Roman’s lip trembled. “Because I was afraid. Because I’m a coward.”</p>
<p>“You’re not a coward, Roman. Coming out is hard. And I’m sorry for whatever I did to make you think you couldn’t be open with me.”</p>
<p>“It was nothing you did. I—” Roman took a deep breath, “I’ve never come out to anyone as aromantic before.”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Patton said. “Well, I’m honored to be the first.” He reached out and grabbed Roman’s hand. “But now you need to do it again. You didn’t even give Logan the <em>chance</em> to accept you. He deserves to know the truth.”</p>
<p>“But how do you tell someone that their soulmate can’t love them? What if I make him think he’s unlovable?”</p>
<p>“He probably already thinks that. You rejected him, remember?”</p>
<p>Roman sighed. “You’re right. That was a pretty cruel thing to do, wasn’t it?”</p>
<p>Patton squeezed Roman’s hand. “A little bit. At the very least, I believe you owe him an apology.”</p>
<p>Roman held out his hand, eying the string that only he could see.</p>
<p>“I think you know what you need to do,” Patton said encouragingly.</p>
<p>He did know. He needed to go on his own quest to find who was at the other end, to follow the string to the soulmate he had never intended to reach.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Following his string probably wasn’t the safest way to drive, and it took some zigzagging, but he finally reached a motel where his string was pointing directly toward a room. He supposed he was lucky that Logan hadn’t headed directly out of town after Roman brushed him off. He parked, walked up to the door, and knocked.</p>
<p>The door opened promptly, revealing a slightly disheveled Logan. The tie was gone, his shirt untucked, and his hair was sticking up in the back, like he’d just gotten up from lying down. “Roman,” he greeted with a touch of surprise. “I wasn’t expecting you. How did you find me?”</p>
<p>Roman held up the hand that his string was tied to. “It wasn’t difficult.”</p>
<p>Logan closed his eyes and shook his head. “Of course. How foolish of me. The string goes both ways.” He opened his eyes and adjusted his glasses. “How can I help you?”</p>
<p>Roman rubbed the back of his neck. “I need to apologize. It wasn’t really fair, what I said to you, so—I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“There’s no need to apologize. You were honest with me, which I respect.”</p>
<p>“Actually,” he said dropping his hand, “what I said may have been the truth, but I let you assume that Patton and I are dating, which isn’t true.”</p>
<p>“But you told me you and Patton were going on a date—?”</p>
<p>“When we go on outings, we like to call them dates. It’s just a fun little thing that we do. But we’re just friends.”</p>
<p>“Ah, I see.” Logan started shifted his weight. “May I ask <em>why</em> you turned me away?”</p>
<p>“That’s actually what I came here to talk to you about. May I come in?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry about the cliffhanger. Feel free to imagine how the conversation between Roman and Logan goes. There's no wrong answer.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Day Eight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The temperature of your chest gets hotter when you are closer to your soulmate and colder when you move farther away.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Today's installment is more of a concept than a fully fleshed-out fic. I don't have a pairing in mind for it, I don't want to write it because it's kind of depressing, and I need a break from writing daily one-shots. So I'm going to type out my ideas in a bullet fic style and leave it at that.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The concept is that because people change over the course of their lives, who their soulmate is can change, too.</p>
<ul>
<li>Two of the characters start off as soulmates. They get along really well, and they're happy and in love. They love the warm feeling in their chest from being around each other. All is well and as it should be.</li>
<li>As they get older--as life gets busy and hard--the warmth in their chests starts to fade. It happens slowly because people don't tend to change all at once. But one of them notices that the temperature in his chest when he is around his soulmate isn't as warm as it used to be.</li>
<li>Or maybe something tragic or traumatic happens, something that changes a person.</li>
<li>Either way, one day, they both wake up to find that the warmth in their chests is completely gone. They are no longer soulmates. They still try to make it work so they don't lose the relationship entirely. Spoiler alert: it doesn't.</li>
<li>There's probably an element of shame and guilt. Why did this happen? Is it their own fault? Was it something they did? If they can't love their soulmate, are they capable of loving anyone?</li>
<li>At one point, one of them meets a different character, and he feels warmth in his chest again, and he learns that it's not that he is incapable of love, it's just that the person who is his soulmate has changed.</li>
<li>He struggles to tell his partner about his new soulmate. It's a hard thing to say, "Fate literally forced me to move on from you."</li>
<li>The old soulmate lets him go so he can be with his new soulmate, but they both have to grieve the loss of the relationship, which is especially hard for the old soulmate, who doesn't have anyone to be with and is now alone.</li>
<li>The old soulmate finds a support group for people who have lost their soulmates in a similar way. He gets along especially well with one of the members, and they start getting closer. They eventually start their own relationship, even though they aren't soulmates. As they grow as people in the relationship and learn how to be a good partner to the other, they start to feel warmth in their chest around each other, like they created their own soulbond.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, the other partner, the one who found a new soulmate, is terrified that the same thing that happened with his old soulmate will happen with his new one. His relationship suffers for it, and he has to learn to be honest about his fears so his new soulmate can help him work through them.</li>
<li>The original pair, the pair who used to be soulmates but no longer are, eventually reach out to each other. At first, it's just to catch up and see how the other is doing. But the more they talk, the more they realize that they still get along really well as friends. They realize that even though they are no longer right for each other as romantic partners, they still want to have each other in their lives.</li>
<li>Everyone learns that soulmates aren't cut-and-dry or easy. They are messy, complicated things because they are just another type of relationship, and that's just how relationships are. That doesn't make them any less valuable. If anything, it makes them more beautiful because you have to work at it and cultivate your dynamic with the other person, and when that effort pays off, the result is a wonderful relationship that both people can cherish.</li>
</ul>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Day One Pt. Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A continuation of the one-shot I wrote for the prompt from Day One (Your soulmate's name is written on your wrist or palm).<br/>Pairing: Prinxiety</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Why write on prompt for today when I can expand on one of my other one-shots instead?</p>
<p>For those of you who liked my idea for the first day, it's back! I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, so expect more chapters in the future. For now, enjoy this next installment!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As promised, Roman Prince’s new album was released the week after the interview was posted. Virgil would have ignored it completely if it weren’t for the fact that he now knew the songs were written for him. He figured the least he could do was listen to them. He still refused to spend money on it, though. He streamed the music on YouTube.</p>
<p>What was interesting was that the album wasn’t a collection of love songs like the interview host had assumed. There certainly were a number of songs about classic themes of love and about the anticipation of meeting one’s soulmate. The passion and adoration in Roman’s voice were palpable, and even though Virgil had expected to hate the songs for their cheesiness, they actually made him tear up because he realized how much Roman already loved him. But there was a song about Roman’s insecurities, how he hoped he would be enough for the soulmate he would someday meet and how every day he tried to be the version of himself that his soulmate deserved. There was a song called “(Can’t) Take you with me” about his lifestyle as a celebrity and how he knew that, even after he met his soulmate, his fame, traveling, and constant work schedule might prevent them from being together the way he wanted. One song that was particularly on the nose was titled, “The Letter V,” which was a moving instrumental on a solo guitar. And the title song, “Storm Cloud,” was about the frustration of knowing his soulmate’s name and how that wasn’t enough to find them, how the name taunted Roman and could be likened to a storm cloud over his head.</p>
<p>“The Letter V” and “Storm Cloud” were by far the most direct clues that the name on Roman’s hand was “Virgil Storm,” but those weren’t Virgil’s favorite songs from the album. Instead, the one that resonated with him the most was the one about Roman’s insecurities because they echoed insecurities that Virgil struggled with himself. He felt like he could sing that song to Roman, and it would be just as authentic. His voice wouldn’t sound as good, though, since he wasn’t a professional musician.</p>
<p>He was hanging out with Patton that week, and they were listening to music. It was his turn to pick the song. Instead of something from the Fall Out Boy album he’d had in mind, he changed his mind at the last minute and asked for “Storm Cloud.” Patton beamed with excitement. Virgil had never requested a Roman Prince song before, and he could tell Patton was ecstatic.</p>
<p>“Don’t read too much into it,” Virgil cautioned. “I just like the song.”</p>
<p>“What do you like about it?”</p>
<p>Patton was a music major, and Virgil knew he could never talk about music as intelligently as Patton could. “I don’t know. I guess I just like the way it makes me feel.”</p>
<p>“How does it make you feel?”</p>
<p>Virgil rolled his eyes, reluctant to bear his soul, even to Patton. “Less alone,” he finally admitted.</p>
<p>Patton squealed. “I’m sure Roman would love it that his soulmate enjoys the music he wrote for him!”</p>
<p>Virgil shrugged. “Maybe so, but it’s not like I’ll ever be able to tell him.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry. I’ll figure out a way for you to meet Roman.” Patton got a gleam in his eye that meant he was plotting.</p>
<p>“How? It’s not like you know him, or know someone who knows him,” Virgil pointed out.</p>
<p>“I’ll figure it out.” He gave Virgil an exaggerated wink.</p>
<p>“Oh, brother,” Virgil said under his breath.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Eventually, Virgil branched out into Roman’s other albums. He already liked some of his songs, even from back when he actively hated him. Patton was an expert on the meaning behind Roman’s work, and he was able to guide Virgil through the albums in a way that was more meaningful than just pressing play.</p>
<p>The more Virgil listened to the albums, the more Virgil was able to recognize the different eras of Roman’s styles and create a timeline of when each of the <em>Storm Cloud</em> songs were written. The cheesy love songs were from early in his career when he was still finding his voice as a creator. That much was obvious. Virgil had mixed feelings about the music from early in Roman’s career, feeling like it was hit-and-miss.</p>
<p>“Storm Cloud” and one of the darker songs on the album were from his angsty phase when he was trying out a bad boy persona, but it was just so wannabe-edgy, the whole era made Virgil cringe. Not all the songs were terrible, though. There was some material that resonated with his emo taste in music, and he understood why they were Roman’s less popular albums. People like Virgil didn’t tend to be his fanbase.</p>
<p>After that, Roman did a 180 and leaned into the pop genre. He didn’t quite pull it off, in Virgil’s opinion, but Patton loved these albums because the songs were all upbeat. To Virgil, these songs were even worse than his “edgy” ones. They all sounded the same to him. When he voiced this to Patton, Patton admitted that it was true and explained that it was because all the songs used the same chord progression, although Virgil wasn’t really sure what that meant. Patton told him that Roman hadn’t really taken any risks during this phase of his career, and his music reflected that. It surprised Virgil when Patton theorized that the song about Roman’s insecurities and “(Can’t) Take you with me” were both from this era because, tonally, they were very different from Roman’s other songs from this time. But Patton showed Virgil an interview where Roman talked about how these albums felt the least authentic to him and how he was just trying to please the fans and the label. It made sense to Patton that Roman was exploring his voice in his private music to balance out the cookie-cutter songs he was producing.</p>
<p>Finally, there was Roman’s current phase, in which he took back control of his music and started taking risks again, and as far as Virgil was concerned, they had all paid off. His songs took on a more mature tone, and they were melodically interesting. Virgil’s favorite songs were his more recent ones, and not just the ones from <em>Storm Cloud</em>. Patton explained to Virgil that the album before <em>Storm Cloud</em> was the first one where Roman not only sang but also played the guitar, which he had been learning for years at that point but had never recorded. Virgil pieced together that “The Letter V” was probably the newest song on the album, if Roman had only recently become comfortable enough with his guitar playing to do it professionally.</p>
<p>Virgil had to admit that learning more about Roman’s career went a long way toward making him a Roman Prince fan. It was then, after going through all his music and listening to Patton explain his career in depth, that he started seeking out interviews on his own. Roman’s personality, which in the past had nauseated him, began charming him, and he understood the appeal of Roman Prince the persona. He was a modern-day Prince Charming. For anyone who was attracted to men and wanted to be wooed, Roman was the best at it. He wasn’t just selling music; he was selling the idea of being romanced. He liked to flirt—with anyone. The fans, interviewers, other celebrities, even the cameras. And even though he’d flirt with literally anyone, the way he looked at you (or, rather, looked at the camera) had a way of making you feel special. It made <em>Virgil</em> feel special, even though Roman had never laid eyes on him. Virgil liked to think it was because he knew that Roman was his soulmate, not because he was falling for the Roman Prince persona.</p>
<p>Still, Virgil looked forward to the day when maybe—<em>maybe</em>—he could get to know the real Thomas, not just the Roman Prince that he showed everyone.</p>
<p>For now, he would listen to <em>Storm Cloud</em> and skip “(Can’t) Take you with me,” trying not to think about how impossible it would be to have a relationship with him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Day Ten</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You are born with a birthmark, similar to a tattoo, that is shared by your soulmate.<br/>Pairing: Royality</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I had an idea for today, and I tried to write it, but I didn't like the way it turned out. Instead of fighting it, I'm going to give myself a break again. But I didn't want to post nothing, so today's submission is just a concept. I do have ideas for future prompts, so I'm going to focus on those instead of pushing myself to write things I'm not proud of.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <ul>
<li>Patton is FTM transgender and has done everything that he needs to transition--changing his name, coming out, going on hormones--except for getting top surgery.</li>
<li>There's one problem: his soulmark is on his chest.</li>
<li>He struggles to find a surgeon who will perform top surgery on him because no one is willing to alter his soulmark in the way that top surgery would require.</li>
<li>He finally finds someone who's willing to do it.</li>
<li>Patton's best friend Roman is the one who takes care of Patton after the surgery. They are very close to each other. Patton has seen Roman's soulmark and knows that it's a small heart on the left side of his chest.</li>
<li>After Patton gets the bandages off and sees his new soulmark for the first time, he realizes that he recognizes it; it's the same shape, size, and location as Roman's.</li>
<li>He shows Roman after his chest has had some time to heal, and they come to the conclusion that if fate intended for Patton to be a man, then it intended for them to be soulmates.</li>
<li>The fic ends with them being excited to start a new relationship!</li>
</ul>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That's the whole thing. It wouldn't have been a very long fic, but I really struggled with this prompt. Hopefully, by doing bullet fics on days like this, I can avoid burnout and deliver on the prompts I'm excited about. Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Day One Pt. Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The third installment of the ongoing saga of Virgil Storm and Roman Prince.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“<em>Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Virgil, Happy birthday to you!”</em></p>
<p>Virgil was celebrating his birthday with Patton and their new friend Logan, who had just transferred and had quickly integrated himself into the queer community on campus. Virgil studied with him in their astronomy class, and even though they were both reserved as people, they had taken a quick liking to each other (perhaps <em>because</em> they were both reserved as people).</p>
<p>Logan was a casual fan of Roman Prince. He hadn’t been aware of the interview with the “Thomas Sanders” reveal, and he reacted mildly to the news that Virgil was likely Roman’s soulmate. He hadn’t listened to all of <em>Storm Cloud</em>, but his favorite song that he had heard was “The Letter V,” the guitar song. He wasn’t familiar with any of Roman’s songs that were more than a few years old, with the exception of the popular songs that played on the radio all the time. He tended to tune out when Patton and Virgil started going on about Roman Prince, so they tried to save Roman Prince conversations for when it was just the two of them. They didn’t intent to convert him to a fanatic, but honestly, it was only a matter of time if he kept spending time with them.</p>
<p>For Virgil’s birthday, they ate mini cupcakes with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles. They watched Roman Prince music videos and played <em>Storm Cloud</em> while they hung out. And of course, they gave him gifts.</p>
<p>Logan, since he didn’t know Virgil very well, got him a card. He had written inside:</p>
<p>
  <em>Virgil,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I wish you well on your special day. I’m glad I get to share it with you. I’m grateful for our friendship, as new as it is, and I look forward to getting to know you better in the coming months.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Your friend,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Logan</em>
</p>
<p>Virgil smiled as he read the message, and he gave Logan a hug, which Logan returned awkwardly. Then, it was Patton’s turn. He was wearing a smile he already couldn’t contain, and Virgil got the idea that whatever Patton was about to give him, he was really excited about it.</p>
<p>Patton handed Virgil an envelope. Inside were a card a piece of paper on which something had been printed. Virgil read the card first. Under the generic message, Patton wrote:</p>
<p>
  <em>Did you hear about the detective ROMAN all over the crime scene? He was looking for PRINCE! (Prints, get it? XD)</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I love you, kiddo. You’re my famILY!</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Patton</em>
</p>
<p>Virgil laughed despite the terrible joke. Patton always knew how to make him smile. He set the card aside and unfolded the piece of paper.</p>
<p>It was a printed receipt for two tickets to a Roman Prince concert with one pass to the preceding meet-and-greet.</p>
<p>Patton had scribbled over the price so that Virgil couldn’t see, but Virgil could imagine how much money Patton had spent on the tickets, and it made him uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Patton was vibrating in his seat as he waited for Virgil’s response.</p>
<p>“Patton, I can’t accept this. I got you a <em>key chain</em> for your birthday because that’s all I could afford to give you. I’ll never be able to pay you back for this.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to pay me back, silly, it’s a gift! Besides, it’s just as much for me as it is for you. We’re gonna go to the concert together!” He turned to Logan. “I don’t want you to feel left out. We hadn’t met yet when I bought the tickets, otherwise I totally would have gotten one for you, too. If you want to go, I can look around online and see if anyone is selling three tickets for seats that are all next to each other, and then I can sell the <em>two</em> tickets, and—”</p>
<p>Logan held up a hand. “There’s no need. While I have no doubt that you and Virgil will enjoy yourselves immensely, I find concerts to be overwhelming, especially for artists so big they can fill a stadium. You two have fun, and you can tell me all about it when you get back.”</p>
<p>“Great!” Patton exclaimed. “I’m glad we’re all on the same page.”</p>
<p>“Patton,” Virgil asked, “why is there only one pass for the meet-and-greet?”</p>
<p>“It’s for you to meet Roman and tell him you’re his soulmate!” Patton explained. “It’ll be enough for me just to go to the concert. I don’t need to meet him. Besides, once you know him, you can introduce me later!”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Virgil asked.</p>
<p>“Totally! It’s your moment. You don’t need me there intruding on it.”</p>
<p>“But, what if I want you there?” Virgil said.</p>
<p>Patton gasped. “Really?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. I’d rather not split up if we can avoid it. I get anxious in crowds. Not that I’m not excited to go, but I know my limits.”</p>
<p>Patton grabbed his laptop. “Alright! Let me see if I can buy another pass.” He did some typing and clicking as he navigated the internet. His face fell. “Oh. They’re sold out. That’s too bad.” Patton turned to Virgil. “I’m sure it will be fine. We’ll drive to the concert together early, and I’ll keep myself occupied while you meet him. Then, we’ll meet up at a pre-determined spot that’s easy to find, and we’ll find our seats! How does that sound?”</p>
<p>Virgil supposed they didn’t have a choice. “That’s fine.” He eyed Logan, whose eyes fixated on a spot in the distance, and he said, “Why don’t we make plans later? For now, let’s play some <em>Uno</em>.”</p>
<p>They played games and chatted for the rest of the afternoon. It was lowkey, but Virgil couldn’t have asked for a better birthday.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The only bummer about Patton’s gift was that they had to wait several months for the <em>Storm Cloud</em> tour to make it to their state. In the meantime, Virgil became more obsessed with Roman Prince than ever. He listened almost exclusively to Roman Prince songs, and even the ones which he had initially been apprehensive about were growing on him. He was familiar with Roman Prince’s entire discography. He bought himself a poster. He had never had an interest in posters before, but it brought him joy to see Roman’s face smiling down at him whenever he entered his room. He scoured YouTube for clips people had filmed from their phones of bits and pieces of the <em>Storm Cloud</em> tour. Part of him realized that he shouldn’t spoil himself, but at the same time, he <em>needed</em> new content of Roman Prince. Roman just made him so <em>happy</em>. He couldn’t wait to meet him, and he knew he would be entirely starstruck when he did. He had to keep reminding himself that he was going there to meet Thomas Sanders, his soulmate, not Roman Prince, his idol, although they were the same person.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>A month out from the show date, Virgil got a text from Patton. <em>Did you see the newest headline about Roman Prince?</em></p>
<p>Virgil had not, which surprised him. He followed Roman on all his social media, so he was usually in the loop. <em>No, what happened?</em></p>
<p>Instead of answering, all Patton said was, <em>I’m sorry, Virgil. I’m so sorry.</em></p>
<p>Virgil grew alarmed. Had something happened to Roman? Was he okay? But it wasn’t long before Patton texted him a link to an article. The preview said something about the actress Rony Rayn, and Virgil was immediately confused. What did Rony Rayn have to do with Roman?</p>
<p>He got his answer quickly when he clicked on the article and read the headline.</p>
<p>
  <em>Rony Rayn comes forward as Roman Prince’s soulmate</em>
</p>
<p>Virgil froze. He stared at the headline, willing himself to comprehend it and somehow unable to. How could Rony Rayn be Roman’s soulmate when Virgil was certain that <em>he</em> was?</p>
<p>He skimmed the article. Apparently, Ms. Rayn came to the conclusion that Roman was her soulmate the same way Virgil did: by listening to <em>Storm Cloud</em>. “Storm Cloud” was related to her last name—which sounded like “rain”—and her first name—Veronica—started with a V. When asked why it had taken her so long after the release of <em>Storm Cloud</em> to come forward, she claimed that, due to her busy schedule, it was only recently that she learned of Roman’s real name and listened to the album. There was a picture accompanying the article of Rony’s hand, with the name “Thomas Sanders” printed neatly across it.</p>
<p>Virgil’s eyes started to sting, and tears welled in the corners of his eyes. <em>No</em>. He’d been so certain that Roman Prince was the right Thomas Sanders. But here it was, the evidence that he’d been deluding himself. Who was he to think that his soulmate was <em>the Roman Prince</em>? He was some nobody from a small town in Florida. Roman was a celebrity. Of course his soulmate, the person he was meant for, would be another celebrity. It felt like something was crushing his chest, and the tears spilled out of his eyes.</p>
<p>Logan had warned him and Patton that their obsession with Roman Prince wasn’t healthy. He explained that parasocial relationships—the relationships that fans develop with the celebrities they follow—weren’t inherently bad, but when taken too far, they could cause more harm than good. Virgil realized in that moment that Logan had been right. He was heartbroken over what he perceived to be a loss, even though he hadn’t really lost anything.</p>
<p>And what had he expected, really? That he would go up to Roman, tell him they were soulmates—and then what? What was supposed to happen after that? Roman couldn’t drop everything and take him to dinner. He would have other fans who paid to meet him and even more fans who paid to see him perform. Roman wouldn’t even be able to stay in town with him. He had to finish the rest of his tour for the rest of the people who paid to meet him and watch him sing. And it wasn’t like Virgil could drop everything to go with him, either. He was still working toward his degree. Their relationship would have to be long distance at best for the foreseeable future, and what kind of relationship was that?</p>
<p>No, Virgil was better off with a normal, regular soulmate. He would meet his Thomas Sanders one day, and that Thomas Sanders would be wonderful, even though he wasn’t famous.</p>
<p>But he still had to grieve the idea that he had found his soulmate, because now, he was back to square one.</p>
<p>He texted Patton, asking him to come over, and to Patton’s credit, he dropped whatever he was doing to answer Virgil’s summons. When he got there, Virgil cried in his arms, and Patton let him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Day Twelve</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You meet your soulmate in your dreams every night.<br/>Pairing: LAMP</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Patton was excited to turn eighteen. Besides becoming an adult—which was thrilling and terrifying in and of itself—he was finally going to meet his soulmate for the first time. Well, kind of, and only if his soulmate was older than him. It took both (or, in some cases, all) parties being adults to establish the mental connection necessary to meet one’s soulmate in their sleep. So, if Patton was the oldest, then his soulmate wouldn’t be old enough yet to enter his dreams. And that was okay! He was willing to wait. But it was entirely possible that when he went to bed on his eighteenth birthday, he would get to meet his soulmate for the first time.</p><p>Patton had to go to school on his birthday, so he would be celebrating over the weekend with friends. But his family had a special dinner that night in Patton’s honor, and Patton’s older brother Janus teased him about meeting his soulmate that night. “I know you, Pat. You’re going to get so flustered you won’t even be able to tell your soulmate your name.”</p><p>“That’s okay! I can just tell her tomorrow night.”</p><p>Janus facepalmed. “You’re so optimistic, it’s impossible to tease you.”</p><p>“Thanks!”</p><p>Patton was so excited he almost couldn’t fall asleep. But he knew he had to to meet his soulmate, so the excitement was counterproductive. He forced himself to relax and take deep, calming breaths. Pretty soon he was drifting off into unconsciousness.</p><p>The next thing he knew, he was waking up from a dream he barely remembered. He tried to hold onto it to grab any hint of meeting his soulmate, but the more he grappled with it, the more it slipped away. It took several minutes for Patton to realize that it had been a regular dream and that his soulmate hadn’t been present at all. Patton fought off tears of disappointment as he got up to get ready for school.</p><p>He ran into Janus in the bathroom, who wasted no time on pleasantries. “So,” he prompted through a mouth full of toothpaste, “how did it go?”</p><p>Patton started pulling a comb through his hair. He pasted a smile on his face. “It was great! Everything went perfect!”</p><p>Janus eyed him with suspicion. “She wasn’t there, was she?”</p><p>Patton’s smile fell, and he shook his head. “No.”</p><p>Janus cleared his mouth, rinsed his toothbrush, and leaned against the counter. “You know, it’s entirely possible that you’re just older than her. There’s no reason to get discouraged yet.”</p><p>“That’s easy for you to say,” Patton said, “you’ve met your soulmate.”</p><p>Janus cast his gaze to the ground. “No, I haven’t.”</p><p>Patton’s eyes darted to his brother. He was two years older than Patton, and he hadn’t met his soulmate by now? “What?”</p><p>Janus crossed his arms. “I’m swearing you to secrecy on this, but I’ve been having regular dreams since my eighteenth birthday.”</p><p>That explained why Janus had acted coy about it when Patton and his parents had asked. “Why didn’t you tell us?”</p><p>“Because if I was honest, Mom and Dad would keep pestering me until I did meet her. It was easier to let you believe that I had.”</p><p>Patton went back to getting ready for school. “But now we have something in common!”</p><p>“It appears we do,” Janus agreed.</p><p>“I won’t tell Mom and Dad about you if you don’t tell them about me.”</p><p>“Deal.”</p>
<hr/><p>It was two months of regular dreams until one night, Patton found himself sitting on a bench in a park. It was idyllic, filled with brilliant green grass and blooming flowers and tall, proud trees. He felt so lucid, too. The only reason he knew for sure it was a dream was because the trees were covered with clouds, and the clouds in the sky were made of leaves. Now that he looked closer, he realized that the flowers were also odd shapes that flowers don’t tend to grow. A trail wound its way around a pond that was a soft pink, and despite the clear day, there was a rainbow in the sky that looked almost solid.</p><p>Patton heard a crunching on the gravel of the trail, and he turned in the direction of the noise. A tall man with sharp features and glasses very similar to Patton’s was walking in his direction, taking in the strange yet beautiful scenery.</p><p>Patton was struck with a realization. This dream was so different from any he’d ever had. It was so vivid, and there was only one other person here with him. Was that his soulmate? That had to be his soulmate, right?</p><p>Patton stomach dropped, and the sky turned ever so slightly gray. <em>A man? </em>His soulmate was a man? That was. . . unexpected. But he recovered quickly, and the sun shone bright again. He was nervous to tell his family, but he trusted fate. If this was the person he was destined to be with, then he would role with the punches and take it in stride.</p><p>When the man got closer, Patton stood. The man took a step back and threw a hand over his chest, like he was startled. This was confirmed when he said, “I didn’t see you until you moved.”</p><p>“Sorry,” Patton said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He was pleased to prove Janus wrong about being flustered.</p><p>“No apology necessary. I should have been paying more attention.” He looked around. “This sure is a strange place, isn’t it?”</p><p>“It’s not reality,” Patton confirmed. “We’re both dreaming.”</p><p>“And we’re dreaming—together?” The man asked.</p><p>“It sure seems that way.” Patton decided not to push him, letting him come to the natural conclusion on his own.</p><p>His gaze landed back on Patton. “Then, you must be my soulmate, and I yours.”</p><p>Patton smiled. “Must be!” He held his hand out. “I’m Patton! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”</p><p>The man shook it. “Logan. The pleasure is mine.”</p><p>“Logan,” Patton said, turning the name over in his head. Logan really was handsome, and Patton had butterflies in his stomach. Was he attracted to a man? <em>Was he gay!?</em> Patton kept his identity crisis to himself as he said, “I like that name!”</p><p>“You do?” Logan perked up. “This is the first time anyone’s ever had that reaction.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Yes. Most of the time, people get confused.”</p><p>“Why would they get confused?”</p><p>Logan started rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, Logan is more of a boy’s name than a girl’s name.”</p><p>Patton blinked, confused about why that would matter. “Yes?”</p><p>Logan picked up on it. “What’s confusing about what I just said? Do you know many girls named Logan?”</p><p>“No, but I’ve known plenty of boy Logans.”</p><p>Logan squinted, dropping his arm. “Is there something I’m missing, here?”</p><p>“Is there something <em>I’m</em> missing?”</p><p>But before Logan could answer, he disappeared. Once he was gone, the shared dream quickly dissolved around Patton, and he was flung into one of his own. He floated around in his own imagination for an indeterminable amount of time until he landed, unceremoniously, in a library. He knew it was a library because of the shelves of books, but upon closer inspection, the shelves seemed to be filled with the same twenty-ish books repeated over and over. Patton wandered around, even though the uniformity of the shelves made it difficult to tell where was new to him and where he had already been. Eventually, he came across a break in the shelves, a space in which a small table sat with four chairs. One of the chairs was occupied by a familiar figure, who was reading from a stack of books.</p><p>Patton cleared his throat, and Logan jumped. “Sorry,” Patton whispered, “I keep startling you.”</p><p>Logan looked around and then back at Patton. He said, at a regular volume, “There’s no need to whisper. We’re the only ones here.”</p><p>“Oh,” Patton said in his normal voice. “I said, I’m sorry I keep startling you.”</p><p>“I heard, and I accept your apology.”</p><p>“Oh, good!” Patton pointed to the stack of books. “Anything interesting?”</p><p>“I believe this dreamscape was constructed from my imagination, considering that all the books are ones I’ve read before.” He held up a stack of what looked like bound printer paper. “This appears to be the only exception, although I don’t understand what it is.”</p><p>Patton walked over and took one of the seats next to Logan.  “May I?” Logan passed him the stack, and when Patton saw what was printed on the front, he laughed. “This is one of my favorite works of fanfiction!”</p><p>“Ah, that explains why the name of the author looks like a username. It’s because it is.” Logan took it back. “I supposed it’s true what they say about both soulmates contributing to shared dreamscapes, even when there is a clear influence from one of the parties.”</p><p>“So, this one is more you than me, and the one we were in before was more me than you?”</p><p>“That is likely, yes. Although, I believe I contributed to the shapes of the flowers, considering they were various forms of polyhedrons.”</p><p>Patton wasn’t sure what that meant, but he enjoyed the way Logan talked. It sounded so intelligent and logical. “Speaking of the last dreamscape, what happened? You just sort of disappeared. Are you okay?”</p><p>“Yes, forgive me. I did not intend to. I’m a light sleeper, and I struggle with insomnia. I imagine that it will not be an isolated incident and that many of our conversations will be cut unexpectedly short. I apologize in advance.”</p><p>“No worries! I’m just happy to get to spend time with you.”</p><p>The corners of Logan’s lips twitched upwards. “Anyway, did you want to pick up where we left off?”</p><p>Patton struggled to remember their last conversation. “I don’t remember where we left off.”</p><p>Logan sighed. “Me neither, to be perfectly honest. I suppose the mechanics of regular dreams apply to shared dreamscapes, to some extent.”</p><p>“In that case, what do you want to talk about?”</p><p>Logan looked down at the table and pushed the manuscript into the middle of the table. “Why don’t you tell me all about this fanfiction you enjoy?”</p><p>Patton lit up. He talked excitedly about the characters, explaining his way through the plot in stilted fashion. He wasn’t used to retelling stories, or even telling stories. But Logan diligently listened, a small smile playing on his face the whole time. Patton ended up being interrupted mid-sentence by his alarm, and he found that he was sad to part with Logan, especially so abruptly. But as he turned his alarm off, he found himself smiling, and he covered his face to hide his joy from no one. He looked forward to seeing Logan again.</p>
<hr/><p>As promised, Logan popped in and out of their shared dreams sporadically, and every conversation was interrupted by one of them waking up for one reason or another. They almost always returned to either the park or the library, but occasionally the setting changed. They talked about how their days were going, the kind of music they were listening to, what they were working on in school. They were both in their senior years of high school, and they talked about graduation and applying to colleges. Just like with regular dreams, they carried very little of their conversations into their waking lives, and consciously, Patton knew very little about Logan. But from all the unconscious time they spent together, Patton had a good sense of who Logan was as a person, and he knew he was falling for him.</p><p>He hadn’t told his family about Logan. It was hard to hide when he was so happy about it, but he didn’t know how they would react to his soulmate being a man. He hadn’t even told Janus, and he let Janus continue to believe that he hadn’t met his soulmate at all.</p><p>One night, Patton asked if he could have Logan’s phone number so they could talk to each other in their waking lives, too. Logan had agreed, and Patton’s first instinct was to write it down, but then he remembered that he couldn’t take the paper with him. And because they weren’t able to remember much about the time they spent together, they struggled to exchange numbers. They finally resorted to giving each other bits at a time, first memorizing each other’s area codes on one night, then the middle three digits on another night, and the final four on another. It was still kind of fuzzy, and when Patton first texted Logan’s number, he wasn’t certain that it was the right person. But the person on the other end was able to tell him all about their dreamscapes when he asked, and Patton did a happy dance about getting to know Logan consciously and the possibility of maybe meeting him someday.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This isn't the end of the story. I have more plans for this one. I'm hoping to add more chapters just like with the story from day one, but I'm not going to make any promises in case that doesn't happen.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Day Twelve Pt. Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The next chapter of the story from yesterday.<br/>Pairing: LAMP</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was kind of tricky to write because in this chapter, a character realizes that they are transgender. This means that the character misgenders himself until he has his realization, but there is no malicious or intentional misgendering in this chapter.</p>
<p>Fair warning: for the sake of the characters' journeys, I decided that the characters start of as ignorant of the trans community (they will grow, I promise). This means that some of the language that is used by the characters may make people uncomfortable. There are no slurs, but there are some phrases that are generally rejected by trans people and questions that might be considered inappropriate to ask. It should be mild enough so as not to be offensive, but I wanted to give y'all warning anyway.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It happened the first time Logan sent a picture to Patton. Logan wanted to show Patton his college acceptance letter. But in the photo he sent of it, a girl was holding it up, and Patton was confused.</p>
<p><em>Who is that in the picture?</em> Patton texted. Logan’s response was the last thing he expected.</p>
<p> <em>. . . That’s me. </em></p>
<p>This did nothing to ease Patton’s confusion. If anything, it increased. He sent Logan, <em>???</em></p>
<p>
  <em>You don’t recognize me? You’ve seen me in our sleep every night for weeks.</em>
</p>
<p><em>Yeah, and that’s not what you look like.</em> The only thing in the picture that looked familiar were the glasses.</p>
<p>
  <em>What are you talking about?</em>
</p>
<p>Patton realized that Logan needed to see himself the way Patton saw him (her?). <em>Meet me in our dreamscape.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Right now? I can’t fall asleep on demand like that.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Can you at least try?</em>
</p>
<p>All Patton got in response was, <em>Fine.</em></p>
<p>It took a while, but ultimately a dreamscape formed around him. It was unlike any dreamscape he and Logan had been in before. Besides the park and the library, they had met in a kitchen, a classroom, and even once in front of a roaring fireplace (that had been one of Patton’s favorites because they sat close to each other and cuddled). But one thing that all the locations had had in common was that they were places that one of them had been before, or somewhere they might encounter in their everyday lives.</p>
<p>This was not one of those locations.</p>
<p>Patton “awoke” in a corridor made of stone. Torches punctuated the hallway at consistent intervals, lighting the space. In one direction, Patton could see a suit of armor before the hallway took a turn. In the other, there appeared to be a tapestry on the wall. Patton wasn’t sure what to do, so he picked a direction and started walking.</p>
<p>He wandered through winding hallways that never seemed to end. It was kind of fun to be lost, admiring the intricate architecture and lavish decorations. He felt like he was he was in Hogwarts, but without the magic things like ghosts and moving portraits. It became less fun the longer he went without finding Logan. He and Logan needed to settle whether Logan was a girl or a boy, and they couldn’t do that if they couldn’t find each other.</p>
<p>Finally, he saw a shadow move in the corner of his eye as he passed a room. It wasn’t the first room he had passed, but it was the first one where he thought he saw movement. He almost passed it, but he turned around and planted himself in the doorway. He saw a silhouette of a man with broad shoulders, broader than Logan’s. “Hello?”</p>
<p>The figure turned around, and then he blinked. He opened his eyes to see Janus, who was shaking him awake. “Patton!”</p>
<p>Patton sat bolt upright. “Logan!” he cried, disoriented.</p>
<p>Janus crossed his arms. “Who’s Logan?”</p>
<p>Patton panicked. “No one! Friend from school.” He shook his head. “What are you doing in my room?”</p>
<p>Thankfully, Janus let it go. “Mom wanted me to tell you dinner’s ready, but you weren’t waking up. Have a good nap?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess.” He kicked the blankets off as he got out of bed. “I’m up.”</p>
<p>After dinner, he picked up his phone to see that he had texts from Logan.</p>
<p>
  <em>Where did you go when you fell asleep?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It wasn’t one of our usual dreamscapes, was it?</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Patton?</em>
</p>
<p>Patton texted back, <em>Just finished dinner and saw your texts. No, it wasn’t one of the usual ones. I think I was in a castle of some kind?</em></p>
<p>Logan responded, <em>That was the conclusion I came to as well.</em> It was a couple of minutes before he texted Patton again. <em>Patton, I have something important to tell you. You can’t tell anyone.</em></p>
<p>Patton became nervous. <em>I have something important to tell you, too.</em></p>
<p><em>You first,</em> Logan responded too quickly.</p>
<p>Patton thought about the person he’d come across in the room of the castle, and he sent, <em>I think we have a third soulmate</em>.</p>
<p>
  <em>I believe that’s likely. Neither of us could come up with a dreamscape so elaborate.</em>
</p>
<p>Patton was relieved that Logan agreed with him and didn’t seem to be upset about it. <em>What about you? What’s your news?</em></p>
<p>Logan took a long time to respond, and Patton began to wonder if Logan had seen his message at all. But evidently, he did, because he texted Patton, <em>When I was wandering the castle, I passed a mirror. I can see now what you were confused about.</em> There was a pause before he sent another message. <em>Patton, I think I’m transgender.</em></p>
<p>***</p>
<p>It took Logan a while to fall asleep, but when she did, she opened her eyes to find herself somewhere strange. It wasn’t strange the way their dreamscapes were usually strange—how the dreamscapes imperfectly resembled reality, like the setting was <em>almost</em> real but not quite. No, this place was strange as in <em>new</em>. It was some sort of grand hall, a large, open space with high ceilings where hundreds of people might gather. Large windows let in natural light, and a tapestry of a large, ornate crest hung on the wall. There was a chill in the air, likely the result of the stone walls. Long tables with wooden benches lined the space, and at the end of the room, underneath a colorful stained-glass window, sat a magnificent throne.</p>
<p>What was striking about the room—besides its scale—was the sheer amount of detail that had gone into it. Logan felt as if she could be standing in a real castle. It would have taken a strong imagination to fabricate this place, and from Logan’s experience with herself and Patton, neither of them had the capacity to create something this life-like. Therefore, this dreamscape had to be the creation of a third party. Patton and Logan had another soulmate.</p>
<p>The realism of the structure made Logan wonder: was this the only room in the dreamscape, or had their host constructed an entire building for them? Logically, if this were the only room, then Patton and their third soulmate would be here, so there must be more to the castle. Logan walked toward the large doors and exited the great hall.</p>
<p>She found herself in some sort of foyer that branched off into several hallways. This place was probably more elaborate than Logan and Patton had bargained for. Logan had no clue where Patton could be and no way to find him, so the best thing she could do was pick a hallway and pray that she found what she was looking for. She started walking.</p>
<p>The layout of the castle was convoluted. There were many twists and turn, many forks in the path, many decisions that Logan had to make about which way to go. She passed portraits and tapestries, suits of armor, torches and decorative weapons mounted to the wall. With each step, she lost more and more hope of finding Patton—or their third soulmate, for that matter—and she grew more and more desperate to find someone.</p>
<p>This was how she almost ended up passing the large window in one of the corridors. Almost. She saw a flash of a person to her left, someone tall and thin. She turned on instinct and was confronted with a man she didn’t recognize. He had sharp features, a shrewd expression, and piercing brown eyes behind a pair of rectangular-framed glasses. Oh. This must be their third soulmate. The corners of Logan’s mouth ticked upwards, and her soulmate smiled, too.</p>
<p>“Hello,” they both said at the same time, though only one voice could be heard, for some reason, and both laughed awkwardly in response. Logan held out her hand. “My name is—” She stopped because the person in the glass mouthed along silently with her words, cutting off exactly when she did. Her smile fell, and so did the man’s. She reached out her hand out toward the window, watching as the man did the same. She noticed the fearful expression on the man’s face, feeling her own, as she made contact with cold, smooth glass. She took a step back, and the man mirrored her actions because it wasn’t a window.</p>
<p>It was a mirror.</p>
<p>The man was <em>her</em>.</p>
<p>Patton’s confusion about the picture she sent to him came rushing back to her, and now she understood his confusion. This was the version of herself that he knew, and this version of her looked very different from her body. She also realized just how oblivious she had been of her dream form up until now. She had heard that people’s dream forms were often idealized versions of themselves. She hadn’t been aware that such a phenomenon could be taken to this extent.</p>
<p>Then it occurred to her: <em>why is the idealized version of myself a man?</em></p>
<p>She looked at herself—really looked at herself—in the mirror. She took her hand and trailed it down her very flat chest, and it was gone, “it” being the way she felt when she looked at her chest, the feeling she had labeled as self-consciousness. It had disappeared along with the excess tissue. She spoke only to listen to her voice. She said, “This is me,” and she wondered how she had never realized how low it was. And she <em>loved it</em>. Finally, she became aware of something bulky between her legs that didn’t exist on her physical body, and she wondered why it had taken her so long to recognize that it was there. The only answer she could come up with was that it felt so natural, like it was always meant to be there from the beginning.</p>
<p>She couldn’t deny it: the idealized version of herself was a man was because she was a man. <em>He</em> was a man. She—he was transgender.</p>
<p>Well, she had wanted to find someone, and she had: she had found herself. Or, rather, <em>he</em> had found <em>himself</em> (that would take some getting used to).</p>
<p>Reality dawned on him, and tears welled up in his eyes as fear mounted in his chest. <em>He was transgender</em>. Would his family and friends be able to accept that? <em>Would Patton?</em> No, no that fear wasn’t logical. Patton had thought he was a man from the beginning, and he had accepted him. But would knowing that Logan had been born a girl change that? Maybe that fear wasn’t unwarranted.</p>
<p>And what was he supposed to do now? His physical body would never look like his dream form, but his dream form felt like who he really was. How was he supposed to wake up and be okay with going back to being a girl? What was the alternative?</p>
<p>The only thing that was certain to him was Patton. He needed Patton to know, and he needed Patton to be okay with this. He was going to see Patton every night for the rest of his life. If there was anyone he needed to accept him, it was Patton.</p>
<p>And the thought that he wouldn’t caused his chest to feel like it was ripping apart.</p>
<p>He was unceremoniously ripped from the dreamscape, and by extension, his dream form. When he awoke, he quickly became aware of his body. The sudden presence of tissue on his chest, and the absence of it between his legs, made him gasp because it just felt so <em>wrong</em>. He let himself feel sorry for himself, and he tried to adjust to using different pronouns to refer to himself in his head. The thought, <em>I’m transgender</em>, kept bouncing through his head, and he fought the urge to cry. His future felt like it was filled with uncertainty, but the one thing that he knew was that he needed to talk to Patton.</p>
<p>He texted his soulmate.</p>
<p>Patton didn’t respond right away, and Logan frantically sent him a follow-up message. Had Patton realized the same thing he had and decided he didn’t want to talk to him anymore? When Patton still hadn’t responded fifteen minutes later, he sent another message, certain that Patton wouldn’t text him back.</p>
<p>But he finally did, providing a very reasonable excuse for why it had taken him so long to reply, and Logan relaxed a fraction. They had a brief conversation where Patton confirmed that he had gone to the castle as well, and they theorized that they had another soulmate. Then, it was the moment of truth. Logan texted, <em>Patton, I think I’m transgender</em>.</p>
<p>As he typed and sent the message, he realized he was shaking. He needed Patton’s reply, but he was also scared of it. What would he do if Patton rejected him?</p>
<p>But Patton sent his response quickly, so Logan didn’t have to wait very long. <em>Okay. I don’t really know what that means. Are you a boy or a girl?</em></p>
<p>The shaking subsided. That wasn’t an outright rejection. Logan didn’t know much about being transgender, either, but he knew the basics. <em>It means I’m a boy, like you’ve seen in our dreams, but I was born in the body of a girl.</em> He pressed send. Then he realized that there was more he wanted to say, and he typed a follow-up. <em>This is all very new to me. I’ve only been consciously aware of it since I woke up.</em></p>
<p>He fought the impulse to hold his breath until Patton’s next text. It read, <em>Do you want me to call you a boy?</em></p>
<p>Logan wasn’t really sure how to answer that. He had no idea what his future looked like, now that he knew (which was terrifying, and it was a beast that he would have to face later). He gave Patton the best answer he could. <em>When we’re asleep and alone, certainly. Awake—I still need to figure that out</em>. <em>I guess just keep referring to me the way you have been to the people in your life, for the sake of consistency. It’s not like they’ve ever met me.</em></p>
<p>Logan took deep breaths. This wasn’t going bad. It was actually going kind of good. At least, he believed that until Patton’s next message. <em>I haven’t actually told anyone about you. I’ve kind of been scared of how people would react to my soulmate being a man. Does this mean I can tell them you’re a girl?</em></p>
<p>Logan was surprised at his vehemently negative response to Patton’s benign question. He didn’t want people to think of him that way if they didn’t already. <em>Just don’t tell anyone about me until I figure this out. Please.</em></p>
<p>All Patton sent back was, <em>Okay</em>. Logan didn’t have anything else to say, and he believed that that would end the conversation. But Patton sent him one more message, and that was, <em>I want to support you, whatever you need. I just don’t know how. I barely understand being gay, and transgender is something entirely new to me. Will you let me know what you need from me?</em></p>
<p>Logan almost cried from relief. Patton wasn’t rejecting him. Patton was trying. And sure, there was still a lot that he needed to figure out, but it felt marginally easier now that he knew for sure Patton would stay by his side. <em>Of course.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As you may have guessed, there's still more because we haven't introduced all the characters yet! Look forward to that!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Day Fourteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The first words you hear your soulmate speak are written on your arm.<br/>Pairing: Moxiety</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! I interpreted (Ha! It's a pun, but you don't know that yet) this prompt a little differently from how it's written. Some of the differences will be described in the fic, but you should know going in that the first words your soulmate says to you appear on your arm after they say them, rather than being on your arm from birth, which is the way I've seen other people interpret (hehe) it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Virgil didn’t have very much to take with him to college. It all fit easily in his small sedan. So when it came time to move it out of his vehicle and into his dorm, it wasn’t a long process. He did it all on his own, like he’d done most things in life.</p>
<p>He arrived at his dorm before his roommate, and he wasn’t quite sure what to do. Should he go ahead and choose a bed so he could start unpacking, or should he wait for his roommate so they could decide together?</p>
<p>His roommate was someone the university had stuck him with. He knew nothing about the guy except that they were going to spend the next nine months sharing a space. But that also meant the guy knew nothing about him, so at least the ignorance was mutual.</p>
<p>Virgil decided to wait for an hour, and if his roommate didn’t show up, he would start unpacking because he could say he tried.</p>
<p>He played around on his phone for fifty-seven minutes, and he was about to start unpacking when the door was unlocked and opened. A boy around his age wearing glasses and a huge smile shuffled his way inside under the weight of a backpack, some duffel bags and a suitcase. Virgil reasoned that if the guy had a key, this must be his new roommate. The boy let the weight off his shoulders, dropping the duffel bags to the ground and standing the suitcase upright. He spotted Virgil and waved. He raised his eyebrows, pointed to Virgil, and then open and closed his fists, palms facing upward. Then he froze.</p>
<p>Virgil blinked, confused. It was the strangest greeting he had ever received. He said, “Um, hi?”</p>
<p>The boy deflated, and the smile slipped off his face. He started looking around, repeating a pattern of clapping his hands twice, but also swiping his upper hand toward himself as he did. It was certainly eccentric, and he couldn’t be more confused about why it was happening.</p>
<p>“Can I help you find something?”</p>
<p>But the boy didn’t give any indication that he had heard Virgil. He slung the backpack on one of the beds, unzipping it and rummaging around. He pulled out a notebook and fished for a pen until he found one. Then, he flipped the cover and scribbled something onto the first page. Finally, he handed the notebook to Virgil for him to read.</p>
<p><em>Hi! I’m Patton, and I’m deaf!</em> Underneath was a string of digits.</p>
<p>Anxiety curled in Virgil’s chest as he read the paper. His roommate was deaf? How was he supposed to interact with his roommate if he was deaf? Virgil didn’t know anything about deaf people. What if he said or did something wrong?</p>
<p>But he did his best to hide his panic. “Is this your phone number?” Virgil asked. He looked up from the paper to Patton, who stared at him and raised his eyebrows. He sighed and motioned for the notebook back, and Virgil relinquished it. He wrote some more before returning it to Virgil.</p>
<p>
  <em>I can’t read lips. I need you to write it out or text it to me.</em>
</p>
<p>Oh, duh. Virgil had just asked a deaf man a question <em>out loud</em>. “Sorry,” he said without thinking. Darn it, he had done it again. He pulled out his phone, typed in Patton’s number, and texted him, <em>Sorry.</em></p>
<p>Patton’s phone vibrated, and he pulled it out, reading Virgil’s message. He smiled again, typing a response. Virgil’s phone went off when he received Patton’s response. <em>No worries! You’ll get the hang of it.</em></p>
<p>Virgil relaxed a bit. Patton seemed easy-going. He seemed like the kind of person who would roll with Virgil’s mistakes instead of getting offended, which was good. Virgil would probably make <em>a lot</em> of mistakes. Patton typed some more, and Virgil’s phone pinged again. <em>What’s your name?</em></p>
<p>“Virgil,” Virgil said out loud, and shoot, he needed to stop doing that. He closed his eyes and sighed, texting his name to Patton.</p>
<p>After Patton read it, he put his phone down and moved his hands around again.</p>
<p>“Wait, what does—” but he caught himself this time, and he sent, <em>What does that mean?</em></p>
<p>Patton checked his phone. He then sent one word at a time. <em>Nice</em>. He slid one hand over the other. He picked up his phone. <em>To meet. </em>With both index fingers pointing up, he brought his hands together. <em>You</em>. He pointed at Virgil. He then repeated the movements slowly, so Virgil could follow. “Nice to meet you,” he signed.</p>
<p>“Oh,” slipped out of Virgil’s mouth. He didn’t know how to respond in sign language, but he tried. He pointed to Patton, and then held up two fingers, which came out as, <em>You two.</em></p>
<p>Patton laughed, thank goodness. It sounded like honey, like bells chiming. It filled Virgil with serotonin. He couldn’t help but smile in response. He picked up his phone again and typed out a message for Virgil. <em>I think we’re going to get along just fine! Now, which bed is mine?</em></p>
<hr/>
<p>Virgil met a whole bunch of people that day. There was a meeting with all the people in his hall led by the RA. He talked to people when he went to the dining hall for dinner. Patton dragged him to a gathering, the nature of which he wasn’t quite sure of, and at first, he didn’t know why Patton had wanted to go. Everyone was talking. But Patton met up with a woman who was signing for him, and when he signed, she talked. Oh, she was like a sign language translator. Virgil got to watch a lot of sign language that night because he stayed glued to Patton’s side, as Patton was the only one he knew. But Patton seemed to know people there, and he learned later that Patton was a sophomore, which meant that he was interacting with people he had already met.</p>
<p>It was a long day of moving and socializing, and he was relieved to get ready for bed. He took off his hoodie to change into pajamas, and he caught sight of something on his wrist. It caught him off guard. He hadn’t written anything down. He read the words, <em>Hi! Do you sign?</em> and he realized that these must be the first words his soulmate had said to him.</p>
<p>He had met his soulmate that day.</p>
<p>He tried to remember when anyone had asked him that, but he came up blank. His heart sank. Great. Just his luck. He had met his soulmate, and he had completely missed it. What was he supposed to do now? He guessed that the only thing he could do was hope someone approached him and said they were his soulmate. “Pfft, like that’s going to happen,” he mumbled.</p>
<p>He went to bed that night fighting the sadness that he had missed the chance to meet his soulmate.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was harder for deaf people to meet their soulmates than hearing people, but not for the reasons hearing people assumed.</p>
<p>There was a commonly-held misconception that the words that appeared on a person’s arm were the first words that they <em>heard</em> their soulmate say, and therefore deaf people could never meet their soulmates because they could never <em>hear</em> language.</p>
<p>That wasn’t true. In reality, the words that appeared were the first words that were <em>communicated</em> in whatever language the person happened to use. ASL was just as much of a language as any spoken language, and therefore, whatever a person <em>signed</em> to their soulmate first would also appear on the person’s arm. Plenty of deaf people met their soulmates through sign language.</p>
<p>The reason that it was more difficult for deaf people to meet their soulmates was because so few people used ASL relative to the population as a whole, which meant that the probability that a deaf person’s soulmate knew sign language was remote.</p>
<p>Secretly, Patton feared that he would never meet his soulmate, that his soulmate would never sign to him, that his wrist would stay blank his entire life. It was a rational fear. He knew how common it was for deaf people to never experience a romantic relationship, but it was something that Patton very much wanted.</p>
<p>So he waited patiently, trying to meet as many new people as he could and get them to sign, “Nice to meet you,” surreptitiously checking his wrist every time. He taught it to every new person he met. Well, almost every new person. He hadn’t had the chance to teach his new roommate, but come on, what were the chances that someone the university had randomly assigned to live with him was his soulmate?</p>
<p>To Virgil’s credit, though, he was trying. It was clear that he meant well, even though Patton was the first deaf person he had ever met. They actually got along really well, and Patton enjoyed his company. They texted all the time, with Patton teaching him little tidbits of deaf culture and how to interact with deaf people. He didn’t push sign language onto Virgil like he might have someone else because Virgil was a freshman, and he was still trying to adjust to college, and he had enough to learn in his classes without Patton shoveling a whole new language on him. If they became closer friends, Virgil would learn in his own time. For now, texting would suffice.</p>
<hr/>
<p>During the second week, Virgil came back to his dorm to find an extra person sitting on Patton’s bed. They were taking turns waving their hands around, and Virgil realized that this must be one of Patton’s friends who knew sign language. When Virgil closed the door behind him, the unknown person, whose back was to the door, turned his head, and then quickly turned back around to face Patton. Virgil ignored them since he couldn’t understand anyway, throwing his backpack onto his bed.</p>
<p>“It’s nice to meet you, Virgil.”</p>
<p>Virgil jumped, turning toward the stranger, who was now looking at him intently. Virgil’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know my name?”</p>
<p>He motioned to Patton. “Patton told me. He also told me that you’re his roommate and that you don’t sign.”</p>
<p>Great. Virgil <em>loved</em> that they could talk about him behind his back <em>while he was in the room</em>.</p>
<p>“No, I don’t. I’m sorry, who are you?”</p>
<p>The man signed something to Patton before turning back to Virgil. “My name is Logan. I’m an interpreting major. Patton is helping me study.” He started signing again.</p>
<p>“What are you saying to Patton?” Virgil asked as his anxiety spiked.</p>
<p>When Logan finished signing, he said, “I’m just repeating everything we’re saying out loud so Patton isn’t excluded from the conversation.” He signed again, presumably telling Patton what he just said.</p>
<p>“You said you’re an ‘interpreting’ major,” Virgil said, repeating the unfamiliar word. “What’s ‘interpreting?’”</p>
<p>Logan repeated what Virgil said in sign language, and then he turned back to Virgil. “‘Interpreting’ is the process of translating between ASL and English. Interpreters act as an intermediary to sign what is spoken and voice what is signed.” He signed all that for Patton.</p>
<p>Oh, so it was what the woman was doing on his first night here, the one who was signing to Patton and talking for him.</p>
<p>That didn’t ease Virgil’s confusion about the situation, though. “Wait, how can Patton help you study for that if he’s deaf?”</p>
<p>Logan repeated Virgil’s question to Patton. But before Logan could answer, Patton signed back to him, and Logan watched Patton as he spoke. “Patton says, ‘I’m helping him practice ASL because I’m’—what?” He clarified something with Patton before continuing, “Oh, ‘because I’m fluent in ASL. But we can study’—I missed all of that.” He presumably asked Patton to repeat himself, and Patton started signing again, slower this time. “‘But we can study together because I’m also an interpreting major.’”</p>
<p>“Wait Patton’s an interpreting major? How?" And how did Virgil not know this yet? Had they really never talked about it? "Don’t you have to, like, hear to be an interpreter?”</p>
<p>After a bit of signing back and forth, Logan spoke for Patton while he signed. “‘Certified Deaf Interpreters, or CDIs, are interpreters who are deaf. They interpret for deaf people’—slow down, Patton.” Logan interrupted Patton with his request, and Patton, appearing a bit annoyed, complied. “‘They interpret for deaf people who don’t know ASL and use gesture and mime to communicate. They’re special because they’re fluent in ASL and know a lot about deaf people and deaf culture, which helps them work with deaf people who don’t sign. CDIs usually work with hearing interpreters, who interpret what is spoken. It’s like’—what?” Patton clarified for Logan, and Logan laughed. “‘It’s like a professional game of telephone. The deaf person signs to the CDI, who signs in ASL to the hearing interpreter, who speaks to the hearing person, and back.’”</p>
<p>It took Virgil a second to absorb what Patton had told him through Logan. “I didn’t know that was a thing.”</p>
<p>“Nor did I,” Logan said, “until I met Patton.”</p>
<p>Virgil looked at Patton. “He’ll be a great deaf interpreter.”</p>
<p>Logan smiled and interpreted for Patton. Patton flushed at the praise.</p>
<p>After signing to Patton for a bit, Logan turned to Virgil. “Would you like to learn some ASL so you can communicate with Patton? I can tutor you in the basics, and Patton can teach you from there.”</p>
<p>Virgil crossed his arms. It looked cool, but it also looked really intimidating, and he was scared of messing up. “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“Well, at the very least, you should learn to fingerspell.”</p>
<p>“What’s fingerspelling?”</p>
<p>“It means using the handshapes of the ASL alphabet to spell out words in English. Like so.” Logan demonstrated, speaking aloud as he signed. “L.” He formed an L with his pointer finger and thumb. “O.” he loosely curled his fingers and thumb to form a circle. “G.” He pointed to the side with his thumb pointing up. “A.” He formed a fist with his thumb to the side of it. “N.” He slid his thumb between his middle and ring finger. “Logan,” he concluded.</p>
<p>“Oh. That’s easy. Why doesn’t everyone just do that?”</p>
<p>“Because it’s harder than it sounds, it’s tedious to spell out anything longer than about ten letters, and many deaf people don’t know English well enough for it to be a viable form of communication.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” He hadn’t expected Logan to have an answer prepared.</p>
<p>“But it’s an essential skill to have to communicate with a deaf person.”</p>
<p>“Okay, I get it,” Virgil said. “I need to learn to fingerspell.”</p>
<p>“Very good. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to go back to our conversation.” He started signing to Patton, and Virgil took that as his cue to mind his own business.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Virgil didn’t have the first clue how to learn to fingerspell. The only thing he could think of was the way anyone learned anything: to look it up online. There were several videos that popped up about how to sign the alphabet, and Virgil clicked on the first one. They were pretty easy to follow. The difficult part was memorizing the hand shapes so that he could spell the words he wanted. He struggled with the difference between P and K, G and H, U and V, and D and F. It was difficult to tell the difference between all the ones that were fists. A, M, N, S, and T were all variations of a fist, and Virgil struggled to tell them apart.</p>
<p>He worked on it in his spare time, which admittedly wasn’t much because he was also trying to hide it from Patton. He wasn’t really sure why he was hesitant to sign in front of Patton. He supposed he was worried that Patton would judge him for how bad he was. He also wanted to save it as a surprise for when he got better at it.</p>
<p>What surprised him was that he kind of enjoyed it. It was fun to learn, even though it was simple. He felt proud of himself when he successfully spelled a word, no matter how slowly he had to go to do it right. Sometimes, when he was bored in class, he would test himself and go through the alphabet with his hand under his desk. Sometimes he would do it when he was walking on campus. Sometimes he would do it while he was trying to fall asleep. The first time he got through a whole sentence, he smiled and cheered to himself.</p>
<p>By the end of the term, he couldn’t wait to show Patton.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was dead week, and Patton had just gotten home from studying with Logan. His eyes were tired, and by the end of their study session, he had been struggling to pay attention. He collapsed on his bed, closing his eyes. He was just going to rest for a few minutes, and then he would study for another one of his finals. . .</p>
<p>Someone opened the blinds, and the sudden brightness pulled him out of sleep. Oh, Virgil was home. How long had he been out? He checked the time on his phone, and if he did the math right, he’d been sleeping for three hours. Three hours! He had studying to do! Well, he supposed if he’d been out cold for that long, he must have needed the sleep.</p>
<p>As he got one of his textbooks out of his bag, he realized that he actually felt a lot better, and he was ready to tackle another class. That was good. He would probably be more productive than if he had pushed himself to study without resting first. But as he tried to review the textbook, he kept getting distracted because Virgil was pacing. He looked up and knocked on the wall to get Virgil’s attention. Virgil turned his head, and Patton fought a smile. Knocking always got hearing people’s attention.</p>
<p>He signed, “What’s up?” It was one of the few signs he had gotten Virgil to pick up.</p>
<p>Virgil picked up his phone, and Patton waited patiently for Virgil to text him. His phone vibrated, and he read, <em>I have a surprise for you</em>.</p>
<p>A surprise? For him? How exciting! Patton smiled and looked back up at Virgil. Now that he was paying attention, Virgil seemed nervous. His posture was stiff, he was fidgeting with the sleeve of his jacket, and he wasn’t looking Patton in the eye. Patton wondered what Virgil had in store for him. He sent Virgil, <em>Great! What’s the surprise?</em></p>
<p>Virgil read the message and then set his phone down without typing anything. Patton was a little confused because it meant that Virgil didn’t have anything else to say to him. Was it a gift?</p>
<p>Instead, Virgil held up his hand, and Patton saw that it was shaking. Then, to Patton’s shock and joy, Virgil’s hand started slowly forming letters.</p>
<p>“I-L-E-A-R-N-E-D-H-O-W-T-O-F-I-N-G-E-R-S-P-E-L-L”</p>
<p>Patton gasped and covered his mouth. It was the first time Virgil had ever signed to him, and he was touched. It wasn’t the best fingerspelling he had ever seen, but at least he didn’t bounce his hand, and it was clear that he had put a lot of time and effort into it. Patton would never be able to express how much it meant to him for people to learn to communicate with him in his own language.</p>
<p>When he pulled his hand away from his face, he caught sight of the inside of his wrist. There was something there that wasn’t there before, a sentence reading, <em>I learned how to fingerspell.</em></p>
<p>Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. His soulmate! His soulmate was Virgil! He jumped off the bed and showed his wrist to Virgil. Virgil read the sentence, and his eyes widened. He rolled up the sleeve of his hoodie, showing his own mark. <em>Hi! Do you sign?</em></p>
<p>Patton started jumping up and down and pointing, excitedly signing, “That’s the first thing I signed when we met!” Virgil stared at him blankly, and Patton realized that in his excitement, he had forgotten that Virgil still didn’t understand ASL. He grabbed his phone and typed out the sentence in English.</p>
<p>When Virgil read it, his face lit up in a way Patton had never seen. He typed back, <em>We’re soulmates!</em></p>
<p>Patton signed it, and finally, Virgil repeated it back to him. Patton jumped up and down again. Virgil seemed to come to a decision, and he held up a finger to Patton, as if to say, <em>wait a minute</em>. He grabbed his laptop and started typing. Patton wondered if he was going to type out something longer than a text and turn the laptop to show it to him. Instead, he looked up from the screen and pointed to himself. “I.” He did some more typing. Patton’s eyebrows scrunched together. What was Virgil doing? The next time he looked up at Patton, he signed, “Want.” What was that? Was he looking up words in ASL so he could sign to Patton? Virgil looked up and signed, “Learn.” He was! That was exactly what he was doing! “Sign,” he signed, and closed his laptop.</p>
<p>Patton put the words together in his head, and he clarified, “You want to learn to sign?”</p>
<p>Virgil smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>Tears spilled out of Patton’s eyes for the joy that he couldn’t contain. His soulmate was hearing, but that was okay because he wasn’t going to try to “fix” Patton. He wouldn’t try to make Patton get a cochlear implant. He wouldn’t try to make Patton learn to speak. He wanted to learn to sign. He was going to learn ASL for Patton! And even if Patton had to be the one to teach him, that was okay, too.</p>
<p>He sent Virgil a text: <em>Do you want to go on a date?</em> Then, for Virgil’s benefit, he signed it.</p>
<p>Virgil didn’t pick up his phone to respond. Instead, he simply signed, “Yes.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"Interpret," get it? Because, "interpreting" means how you understand something, but it's also the word used for translating sign language? I'll show myself out. Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Day Fifteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's impossible to lie to your soulmate.<br/>Pairing: Janus/one of the others</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't really know what this is. A drabble, perhaps? You could call this an experiment, since I'm not used to writing things like this, things that are short and vague. But anyway, here it is!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Janus is good at lying. Lying is easy. Lying is safe. Lying allows him to shape the way people view him, which is a power he relishes.</p>
<p>It’s a power he didn’t give up willingly. He can’t lie to his soulmate. No one can, but for him this is especially terrifying. He knew he met his soulmate when his lies got caught in his throat. They didn’t slip out the way they usually did. They couldn’t. No one can lie to their soulmate. In the absence of a lie, he elected to say nothing. But his soulmate realized that he couldn’t lie either, and then he was caught.</p>
<p>Janus struggles to tell the truth. Telling the truth is hard. Telling the truth is risky. Telling the truth forces him to trust the people around him to accept him for who he really is, which is a reality he fears.</p>
<p>His soulmate loves him. Everyone loves him, but it’s different with his soulmate. With others, he manipulates them into loving him. They don’t love <em>him</em>; they love who they think he is. With his soulmate, there’s no manipulation. When his soulmate compliments him, he knows he’s earned it, and he blushes. That never used to happen before.</p>
<p>Janus understands deception. Deception is effortless. Deception is reliable. Deception lets him hold people at a distance so they can’t hurt him.</p>
<p>He figures out how to manipulate the truth. He tells half-truths. He leaves things out. He makes vague statements and lets his soulmate fill in the blanks. It’s comforting to regain some of the power he lost when he met his soulmate. But their relationship suffers for it. It’s the first time deception has caused him to lose something, and he decides that he’s had enough.</p>
<p>Janus tries to be honest. Honesty is liberating. Honesty is worth it. Honesty helps him be a more authentic version of himself and have authentic relationships, something he didn’t know he valued until he had one.</p>
<p>He slips up sometimes, when he feels vulnerable. But vulnerability in general is something he no longer fears. His soulmate helped him with that. And he decides that maybe that’s a good thing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Day One Pt. Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It back! Virgil and Roman's story continues.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Today's chapter is short, kind of a filler chapter, but it's important for transitioning to the next one. The chapters will get longer after this. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Patton, please take the meet-and-greet pass,” Virgil begged.</p>
<p>Patton was driving them to the city to go to the concert. Virgil’s excitement to go had been severely dampened since the Rony Rayn thing was announced, but Patton had still encouraged him to go. He argued that there was nothing quite like listening to live music, and that Virgil still enjoyed the songs, and that he would have a good time even though he wasn’t Roman’s soulmate. Virgil argued that he hadn’t been able to listen to any of Roman’s music since he had learned the truth, and that it would only be painful. And then Patton had pulled the please-don’t-make-me-go-alone card, and Virgil succumbed to his begging.</p>
<p>“But I got the pass for you,” Patton said.</p>
<p>“That was when we thought I was Roman’s soulmate. I don’t want to meet him! I don’t know what I would even say. Besides, aren’t you always saying that your dream is to hug him? This is your one chance to do that.”</p>
<p>“Well. . .”</p>
<p>“Please,” Virgil said again. “I want you to. Do it for me.”</p>
<p>Patton sighed. “Okay. But I’m getting you an autograph.”</p>
<p>“Please don’t. I don’t care. I just want to go to the concert and move on from my Roman Prince phase.” Virgil hadn’t been able to look at his poster for a month, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to take it down. He rationalized that removing the poster from his wall would symbolize his moving on from Roman Prince, and he couldn’t truly move on until he had gone to the concert. The first thing he would do after he got home was take it down. He wasn’t sure what he would do with it, but at the very least, he needed to take it off his wall.</p>
<p>“You know, I still think something doesn’t add up about the whole soulmate thing,” Patton said.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, not this again. Can you please just let it go?”</p>
<p>But Patton wasn’t listening. “Roman seemed certain that his soulmate would be one of his fans, or at least someone who wasn’t famous. If the name on his hand was Veronica Rayn, wouldn’t he have known it was her?”</p>
<p>“Patton, you’ve seen the picture. The name on her hand is ‘Thomas Sanders.’”</p>
<p>“But we’ve never seen a picture of <em>Roman’s</em> hand. And he still wears the glove.”</p>
<p>“It’s probably for the consistency of his image. You’re reading too much into this.”</p>
<p>“I’m just saying, Roman hasn’t made any official statements about Rony Rayn being his soulmate.”</p>
<p>“He <em>did</em> make a statement, and his statement was that he’s focusing on the tour right now, and he’ll focus on his relationship with Rony Rayn after that.”</p>
<p>“What I meant to say,” Patton corrected, “is that he hasn’t made a statement other than that statement. And isn’t that kind of odd? He’s been obsessed with finding his soulmate for years, and now he finally has, and he doesn’t want to talk about it?”</p>
<p>“Maybe he just values his privacy, Patton! Have you considered that we don’t really know who he is as a person?” Virgil yelled.</p>
<p>Patton grew quiet, and Virgil realized that he messed up. “I’m sorry for yelling. I know that upsets you.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry I keep pushing the issue, even though I know it’s a sore subject for you. I just wish I understood, you know?”</p>
<p>Virgil did know, because Patton was absolutely right. It didn’t make sense. But he couldn’t allow himself to get his hopes up because he wouldn’t be able to handle being let down again. More than anything, he just wanted to move on. From Roman Prince, and from the conversation. “Can we talk about something else?”</p>
<p>They rode in silence for the rest of the drive, neither knowing what to say. Roman Prince had become the foundation of their friendship, and it was clear that they didn’t know how to relate to each other anymore without him. But Virgil still cared about Patton more than anyone in the world. They would get past this rough patch. He just had to give it some time.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Day Seventeen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Everyone has heterochromia, one eye is your natural color and the other is your soulmate's natural color. Once you meet all eyes return to their natural color.<br/>Pairing: Logicality</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Content warnings for this chapter: injury, mentions of blood, food mention, drinking</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Logan’s eyes were already the same color when Patton met him. This in and of itself was not unusual. What was unusual was that they met because Patton was looking for new roommate for his two-bedroom apartment, and Logan answered the ad. Why would someone who already met their soulmate need a roommate? But Patton figured that the answer was probably personal in nature, and he would have to get to know Logan better before he asked that question.</p><p>Logan arrived with few possessions. Patton already had furniture and kitchenware—his old roommate had even left his mattress in the other bedroom—so all Logan needed to bring were clothes and personal effects. But even taking that into account, all he had was a duffel bag and a backpack. Not that there was anything wrong with not having a lot of stuff, but Patton did wonder if that was everything Logan owned or everything he had left, and that was a very important distinction. Again, Patton didn’t feel like he could ask him yet.</p><p>But there was definitely a story behind his new roommate, and it piqued Patton’s curiosity. He was determined to eventually find out what it was.</p><p>It turned out he would have to be more patient than he anticipated. Logan spent all of his spare time in his room, save for cooking and hygiene. He didn’t eat with Patton, and he didn’t linger in the common area. Patton felt like he was living alone, and it bothered him. For Patton, the whole point of having a roommate was to have someone to share space and spend time with. Not that they had to be best friends, but it would have been nice for Logan to give him a chance.</p><p>For the first three months, every word exchanged between them was logistical. How would they divide up the cleaning? Whose turn was it to take out the trash? When was Patton planning to shower? Could Logan pick up more cookies when he was at the store? Patton wasn’t getting any closer to Logan, and he was disappointed. Logan was polite enough as a roommate, and they worked well together. But he wanted more than just someone who slept under the same roof.</p><hr/><p>Their first personal interaction wasn’t even really a conversation. Patton was cooking while Logan happened to be eating dinner. It was one of those rare moments when they were both in the same place at the same time. Lucky thing, too, because Patton wasn’t paying enough attention, and he nicked his finger while cutting vegetables. He cried out as the cut started to bleed. He grabbed a section of paper towel and wrapped it around his finger. The next thing he knew, Logan was next to him. He held out his hand. “Let me see?”</p><p>Patton was too shocked—both by the injury and Logan’s request—to argue, so he placed his hand in Logan’s without thinking. With a touch gentler than Patton expected, Logan unwrapped the paper towel and studied the cut. He nodded. “Wash it with soap and water.” And then he left the room.</p><p>Considering the curtness of the instruction and the fact that Logan abandoned him after delivering it, Patton almost didn’t. But it was actually good advice, so he turned on the tap. With the blood cleared, Patton realized that the cut wasn’t that deep, even though it hurt like it was. And as he dried off his hands, Logan returned with a first aid kit. He placed it on the counter and opened it, selecting a tube of disinfecting gel and a bandage. After pulling a glove over his hand, he spread some of the gel over the cut, and he covered it with the bandage.</p><p>As he worked, Patton was keenly aware of the skin of Logan’s non-gloved hand on his, holding his own hand steadily in place. Patton looked up from their hands to Logan’s face, which was more relaxed than he was expecting considering that he was tending to a wound. Patton’s eyelashes fluttered. “You’re good at this,” he whispered.</p><p>Logan smoothed down the edges of the bandage, and he replied in a small voice, “I have experience with cuts.”</p><p>It was so different from Logan’s usual matter-of-fact tone, and Patton gathered that there was more to it than what Logan was telling him. But he didn’t push, instead simply replying, “Thank you,” because he really was grateful for Logan’s help.</p><p>In a rare show of intimacy, Logan dark blue eyes looked up to meet Patton’s light blue and brown. They locked eyes, maintaining eye contact for too long for it to be causal, and Patton’s heart fluttered in his chest. He watched as Logan’s matching eyes darted between Patton’s heterochromatic (the only hetero thing about him), and then Logan looked away, dropping Patton’s hand. “You’re welcome,” he replied dryly, and he darted from the room without even finishing his dinner.</p><p>Patton’s gaze followed him and turned to his hand after he disappeared. He stared at the bandage, feeling the ghost of Logan’s fingertips. He had been so tender, so gentle, and Patton could have sworn that they had a moment. He wasn’t sure what kind of a moment, but it had to mean something, didn’t it?</p><p>He finished making dinner, and when he was done eating, he cleared Logan’s dishes along with his own because it was abundantly clear that Logan wasn’t coming back.</p><hr/><p>Logan started reading in the common area. Patton wasn’t sure what changed, but if it had been the moment they had shared in the kitchen, then he couldn’t bring himself to regret his injury.</p><p>Logan had a habit of eating dinner early—well, earlier than Patton, at least. So one night, when Patton ate before Logan, and Logan came out to make food, Patton lingered. Logan sat down with his dinner, and Patton asked, “Would you like me to keep you company while you eat?”</p><p>Logan blinked at him like he had asked something confusing, and Patton replayed what he said in his head to make sure the words came out right. But ultimately, he said, “If you would like to.” Patton smiled and sat down.</p><p>They didn’t speak. Patton wasn’t sure what he expected, but he decided not to try to force conversation. One thing he noticed, though, was that Logan wouldn’t look him in the eye. He finished his food silently, cleared his dishes, and left the room without a word. Patton filed the interaction under <em>failed attempts to get Logan out of his shell</em> and moved on with his life.</p><p>What he certainly did not expect was for Logan to reciprocate.</p><p>The next night, when Logan finished before Patton, he stayed seated, not even bothering to walk his dishes to the sink. He grabbed his book and started reading. Patton finished making dinner, and he sat down at the table, wondering if Logan would move. He did not, except to turn the page. Patton ate as quietly as he could so he didn’t bother Logan. When he was done, he grabbed his plate and took it to the sink. But before he could turn on the water, he heard Logan scooch his chair back, and Patton looked up. Logan had put his book down and was carrying his dishes to the sink, too. He looked around at the mess in the kitchen from him and Patton cooking their dinners. “You wash, I’ll dry?” He offered.</p><p>Patton looked up. They were standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the sink, and Logan was looking at him. He caught Logan’s eyes, and they locked gazes like they had the night Logan helped Patton with his cut. Patton barely dared to breath, like it would break the spell that had been cast between them. But just as he had on that night, Logan’s eyes darted from side to side as he registered Patton’s different-colored eyes before looking away. Before Logan could bolt, Patton said with an authoritative tone, “I wash, you dry.”</p><p>They worked in silence, occasionally brushing fingers, and Patton wondered if it sent sparks up Logan’s arm the way it did for Patton. Patton thought of a million questions he could ask Logan to try to start a conversation, but Logan refused to look at him, and if that was any indication, he didn’t want to talk. When Patton finished washing, he grabbed another towel and helped Logan finish drying just to spend a little more time with him. Logan put the last of the dishes away and hurried from the kitchen. But Patton noticed from the corner of his eye that he gave Patton one more glance before retreating to his room.</p><p>They regularly shared meals after that, and when they didn’t, Patton felt Logan’s absence. He wondered if, on those nights, Logan felt his.</p><hr/><p>One night four months in when they were eating together, Logan said, out of the blue, “I enjoy astronomy.”</p><p>Patton was shocked. They never talked while they ate. He scrambled for a follow-up question to turn Logan’s statement into a conversation. “Oh? What is it about astronomy that you like?”</p><p>But Logan didn’t offer anything else.</p><p>Patton spent the meal trying to come up with a response. Should he say something about space? He didn’t know much about space. Should he try another follow-up question to see if Logan would answer something else? Should he share an interest of his own? By the time they were scraping their plates for the last bits of food, he thought of something interesting to say about himself. “I like cats,” Patton said, equally as out of the blue as Logan, “but I’m allergic.”</p><p>Logan didn’t take the bait, however. He merely held out his hand as an offer to take Patton’s plate to the sink. Patton sighed and placed it in Logan’s hand.</p><p>The next night, Logan said, “When I was in middle school, I taught myself how to solve a Rubik’s Cube.”</p><p>Patton didn’t try to ask him anything this time. Instead, he told Logan, “In middle school, I had a pet frog that I named Lilypadton.”</p><p>Logan nearly choked on his spaghetti. He looked at Patton. “You named your pet after a pun of your own name?”</p><p>Patton smiled. “I’m particularly proud of that one.”</p><p>Logan shook his head and twirled his fork in his noodles, but Patton noticed that he was smiling.</p><p>They continued like this, sharing facts about themselves during dinner until Patton had a whole arsenal of knowledge about Logan. He didn’t know what to do with it. Yet. But he would figure it out.</p><p>And every once in a while, when they were eating dinner, or sitting together in the living room, or passing in the hallway, they would do the thing where they locked eyes until Logan looked away.</p><hr/><p>Their first real conversation was five months in, on Patton’s birthday. He had bought a nice bottle of champagne, planning on drinking a glass with dinner. He didn’t know what he would do with the rest of it, though. To be polite, he offered a glass to Logan, fully expecting Logan to turn it down. Not only had he never seen Logan drink, but Logan didn’t own any alcohol. All the booze in the apartment was Patton’s. Much to his surprise and delight, Logan accepted a glass. And another, when Patton was refilling his own glass. And more, to help Patton finish off the bottle. And now that they were properly tipsy, they could enjoy the cheaper wine that Patton kept in the cabinet. Logan matched him glass for glass, which was probably more glasses than either of them could handle, because they finished the bottle of wine, too.</p><p>Somehow, they both ended up on the couch, staring at the ceiling.</p><p>“This was a bad idea,” Logan slurred.</p><p>“Yeeeeeaaaah,” Patton drew out, “Imma feel this in the morning. My tolerance isn’t what it used to be.”</p><p>“I never had a tolerance,” Logan admitted.</p><p>“Whazat mean?”</p><p>“This is the drunkest I’ve ever been,” he said. He pinched his face. “Drunkest? Most drunk? Eh, who cares. Language is a social construct.”</p><p>“Don’t think I would know what that means even if I was sober.” Patton turned his head to Logan. “Wait, you’ve never been drunk? Like, not even in college?”</p><p>“Too busy studying.”</p><p>“Boooooooriiiiiiing,” Patton intoned, turning his head back to the ceiling.</p><p>“Guilty as charged.”</p><p>They stared with their heads tilted back for several minutes before Patton spoke again. “Did you know this is the first time we’ve ever really had a conversation?”</p><p>“Is it?” Logan asked incredulously.</p><p>“Mhm.”</p><p>Logan snorted, followed a fit of giggles that Patton thought was adorable.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>Logan quickly sobered—in mood, anyway. “Of <em>course</em> I would need to be drunk to talk to you.”</p><p>Patton’s chest stung. “Is it really so hard for you to talk to me?”</p><p>“No, no,” Logan reassured him in a gentle voice. He shifted, resting his head on Patton’s shoulder. Patton was acutely aware of the places their skin touched. “It’s the opposite. It’s hard <em>not</em> to talk to you.”</p><p>“Then why don’t you?” Patton asked. “I don’t understand.”</p><p>Logan snorted again. “Nope, uh-uh. You’re not getting me to say it.”</p><p>“Say what?” He was genuinely confused.</p><p>“I not gonna say how much I like you.”</p><p>If Patton had been drinking anything, he would have done a spit take. <em>Logan liked him?</em> “How much do you like me?” Patton asked like they were schoolboys.</p><p>“Like, <em>sooooooo </em>much.” Logan realized that he had just done exactly what he had said he wouldn’t do, and he followed up with, “Shoot.” He started sitting up, pulling away from Patton.</p><p>“Nooo, hey,” Patton said, looping his arms around Logan’s and pulling him back down. “It’s okay, I like you, too.”</p><p>Logan stared at where Patton’s arms surrounded his, like he was trying to comprehend something complex. “We can’t do this, Pat’n.”</p><p>“Do what?”</p><p>Logan motioned between them. “This. Us. It can’t happen.”</p><p>Patton was confused. “Why not?”</p><p>Logan lifted his free hand up to Patton’s face, brushing the outer corner of Patton’s eye and then doing the same on the other side. It left a trail of lightning on Patton’s face. “You haven’t met your soulmate. But one day, you will, and you’ll leave.” He shook his head. “I can’t do that to myself.”</p><p>Patton tilted his head to the side. “I’ve had relationships before. I can love you, Logan, even though you’re not my soulmate.”</p><p>Logan looked away, making a <em>pfft</em> sound. “You don’t want me as a partner.”</p><p>“Don’t say that about yourself,” Patton whispered, eyes watering. He was so close, but Logan was still trying to push him away.</p><p>“D’j’ya ever wonder what happened to <em>my</em> soulmate?”</p><p>The honest answer was <em>yes,</em> but Patton didn’t say anything.</p><p>Logan continued, “Things got hard, and then, <em>poof</em>,” he waved his hand, “I left. Disappeared.”</p><p>Patton shifted so he was holding Logan’s hand. He found it hard to believe that Logan, the same person who had helped him when he was injured even though they barely knew each other, was capable of anything cruel. “I’m sure you had a good reason.”</p><p>“Did I?” Logan stared intently into the distance as he drunkenly reviewed his life choices. Then his eyes lit up. “Oh, yeah! She was abusive.”</p><p>“See? Sometimes, the best thing you can do in a bad situation is leave.”</p><p>“But was it fair to her? She wasn’t doing it on purpose.”</p><p>“You have to do what’s best for you,” Patton encouraged. “And trust her to take care of herself.”</p><p>“But she can’t take care of herself. She needs help.” Logan squeezed Patton’s hand. “I tried to help her, but nothing was ever enough for her. So I just gave up.”</p><p>“It’s not your job to take care of her.”</p><p>“I’m her soulmate. If it’s not my job, then whose job is it?”</p><p>“Hers.” Inhibitions lowered, Patton hefted his leg over Logan’s so he was straddling his lap. He rested his arms on Logan’s shoulders. He registered Logan’s wide eyes and dilated pupils, and he wasn’t sure how Logan would respond. But he rested his hands on Patton’s thighs. “You wouldn’t have to take care of me, Logan. You could just be your own person, and I’ll be mine.”</p><p>Logan leaned in, and Patton leaned down. Both of them hesitated there, waiting for the other to make the first move. Patton could feel Logan’s breath on his lips, and it would be so easy to press them to Logan’s. . .</p><p>“As enticing as that sounds,” Logan whispered, interrupting Patton’s thoughts, “We should make these decisions when we’re not inebriated.”</p><p>Patton lingered in Logan’s personal space for a moment longer before he said, “You’re right,” and pulled back. Nothing was going to happen tonight, and that was for the best. He scooched off Logan’s lap, pushing himself to stand. He swayed a bit when he was on his feet, and Logan shot his arms out to steady him, hands landing on his hips. When Patton stilled and Logan realized where his hands were, his eyes widened again, and he took them back. “It’s okay,” Patton said. “You can touch me. I don’t mind.”</p><p>Logan glanced up. “Tell me that when your sober.”</p><p>Patton nodded. “I will. I know my boundaries.” He stretched. “Imma get ready for bed. You coming?”</p><p>Logan nodded. Patton reached out his hand as an offer to help Logan up, and Logan took it. Patton pulled Logan until he was standing, bringing his hand close to his chest. When Logan was up, he didn’t let go. He held Logan’s hand—and by extension, Logan—close to him, and Logan didn’t retreat. The tension between them was palpable, drawing them together. They stood together, breathing each other’s air, gazing into each other’s eyes, until Logan looked away, breaking the spell. Before he could pull away, Patton squeezed his hand. “Hey, thank you for talking to me tonight.”</p><p>“Thank you for listening,” Logan whispered without looking up.</p><p>Patton loosened his grip and let Logan escape, and Logan took the opportunity. Patton watched him go, and he could regret the two bottles of alcohol that were now empty. Getting drunk with Logan was the last thing he expected to be doing on his birthday, but it was the best gift Logan could have given him.</p><hr/><p>The next morning, over coffee that Logan had made for the both of them to address their hangovers, Patton said, “By the way, I don’t mind if you touch me.”</p><p>Logan’s eyebrows pulled together. “What?”</p><p>“You told me to tell you, ‘you can touch me’ when I’m sober, so that’s what I’m doing.”</p><p>Logan laughed, a single, “Ha.”</p><hr/><p>Six months after Logan moved in, Patton’s previous roommate asked for his mattress back. Patton offered to share his with Logan while he looked for a new one. Logan’s attempts to buy his own mattress were half hearted, and after two weeks of sharing the bed with Patton, he flat out gave up. Patton noticed, and he couldn’t care less.</p><p>The arrangement was platonic in nature. They stuck to their own sides of the bed, giving each other space. Logan was still determined for them not to get involved with each other, and Patton wanted to respect that.</p><p>Which was why he was surprised one night when Logan suggested they cuddle.</p><p>It hadn’t come out of the blue like that. Patton had had a bad day, and he was trying his best to stay optimistic and not bother Logan with it. But Logan must have noticed while they were getting ready for bed that he was less peppy than he normally was because when they were laying in the dark, trying to fall asleep, he asked, “How was your day?”</p><p>“Good,” Patton replied on instinct. He didn’t want to start a conversation and keep Logan up, even though Logan was the one who asked.</p><p>“Was it really, or are you just saying that?” Logan asked, calling his bluff.</p><p>Patton sighed. “Alright. It sucked.”</p><p>“How so?”</p><p>Why was Logan pushing this? Wasn’t he tired? “I don’t really want to talk about it.”</p><p>When Logan didn’t respond immediately, he thought that would be the end of it. Instead, Logan asked, “Would cuddling make it better?”</p><p><em>Absolutely it would</em>. Patton clamped down on the butterflies in his stomach and the enthusiasm in his thoughts as he said, “It might.”</p><p>The sheets rustled as Logan moved over. He arranged his body neatly around Patton’s, pressing Patton’s face into his chest. Patton curled his arms against Logan’s abdomen, letting Logan hold him. He wasn’t sure where this had come from or why Logan had brought it up, but he wasn’t complaining.</p><p>And Logan didn’t shy away from the contact. He was the one who slotted their legs together so they could curl closer. He was the one who rubbed Patton’s back. And he was the one who pressed his lips to Patton’s forehead, not quite a kiss but very close.</p><p>Tenderness settled within Patton at how affectionate Logan was being. He had no idea Logan had it in him. Perhaps that was why the contact felt so intimate, even in its innocence. Patton was hyper aware of all the places Logan was touching him, and they were touching in a lot of places, more than they ever had. It was electrifying. It was gentle. It was stirring. It was calming. It was a lot of things, and Patton was thoroughly enjoying it.</p><p>So it was too soon when Logan asked, “Has this helped?”</p><p>Not trusting himself to speak, Patton nodded against Logan’s chest.</p><p>“Good.” He started pulling away.</p><p>Patton grasped at his shirt, a small whine escaping him as he held Logan close. Logan froze. Not knowing what else to do, Patton tilted his head up and caressed logan’s collarbone with his lips. “Thank you,” he whispered against Logan’s skin. He felt Logan shudder around him. He pulled back just enough to shift so that his head was laying next to Logan’s. He was barely visible in the semi-darkness of their bedroom, but Patton could feel their breaths intermingling from how close they were.</p><p>Logan brought his hand up and stroked Patton’s cheek with his fingertips. Patton covered Logan’s hand with his own. Patton’s breath caught when Logan twisted his wrist to interlock their fingers. Patton squeezed Logan’s hand in an attempt to communicate all of his longing for Logan, built up over the course of months. He wanted this. He wanted Logan. And judging by the way Logan squeezed back, Logan wanted him.</p><p>“We could do this,” Patton whispered.</p><p>“No, we can’t,” Logan insisted, “no matter how badly we want it.”</p><p>“Isn’t it too late?” Patton argued. “The feelings are already there. It will already hurt you for me to meet my soulmate. Wouldn’t you rather get to experience this instead of never having it at all?”</p><p>Logan shifted closer, yet not quite close enough to touch. “You make a compelling argument.”</p><p>“Besides,” Patton said, preparing himself to expose a painful part of his past, “those relationships I told you about? The ones I’ve been in before? They always ended with the other person leaving <em>me</em>. Every time.” Patton stroked Logan’s hand with his thumb. “I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep, but just because I’ll meet my soulmate someday doesn’t mean I’ll leave you.”</p><p>Logan’s breathing became audible, and Patton could hear it shaking. Patton could feel the tension in his muscles where their bodies connected, and Patton felt that tension in his own body. It was a manifestation of the tension between them that Logan had been trying so hard to fight. But Patton knew exactly how to break down Logan’s walls.</p><p>“I can love you, Logan,” Patton pressed closer, so their noses were touching, “if you let me.”</p><p>Logan surged forward and captured Patton’s lips with his. Patton’s eyes flew opened at the intensity of the kiss, the desperation emanating from Logan, and Patton felt it in himself, too. They let go of each other’s hand, Patton cupping Logan’s face and Logan grabbing Patton’s waist.</p><p>Suddenly, their bodies couldn’t get close enough. They pushed against each other like it was the only thing either had ever wanted. Logan moved his hand to shove Patton’s shoulder so Patton was laying on his back. It parted their lips, but only briefly, before Logan climbed on top of Patton and reunited them. He laid his entire body over Patton’s, and he pressed Patton’s head into the pillow with the force of his kiss. Patton struggled to breath, but he didn’t mind. He held Logan’s head in his hands, encouraging Logan to deepen the kiss. Logan propped himself up with one arm and explored Patton’s body with the other. But before Logan’s hand could reach any intimate places, Patton pulled Logan’s head back. There was something they needed to establish first. “Before we do this, I need to know: do you want me? As a romantic partner?”</p><p>Logan turned his head and pressed a kiss into Patton’s palm. “Of course I want you,” he breathed. “I’ve wanted you from the day we met.”</p><p>Patton nodded. “I want you, too.”</p><p>Their first night as partners, they didn’t get to sleep as early as they had hoped. Neither cared in the slightest.</p><hr/><p>Not every relationship is composed of two eye colors. Some have three, or even more.</p><p>Logan learned to look Patton in the eye without seeing impending rejection. He looked past the heterochromia to see the love and passion they expressed.</p><p>Eventually, they bought a new mattress. The needed a bigger one, one that could fit three people.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Day One Pt. Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Even more of Virgil Storm and Roman Prince!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Patton stood in line, waiting to meet Roman Prince. He shifted his weight as his nerves began to rise. He had a plan because he wasn’t giving up, not like Virgil was. Virgil had been crushed when Rony Rayn had announced that she was Roman’s soulmate, and Patton didn’t blame him. But he was still certain that, somehow, it wasn’t true. And he was going to prove it or make a fool out of himself trying.</p>
<p>The line moved forward inch by inch, and Patton got closer and closer to the front of it. There were so many people, it was hard to believe that he would ever get his turn. How did Roman do it, meet hundreds of people before every single concert, only to then go on stage and perform all night? But he knew the life of a celebrity was so different from that of a normal person, their brains probably worked differently, too. He probably loved the adoration and attention he got from his fans.</p>
<p>Eventually, the front of the line was in sight, and he could almost hear Roman’s voice for himself, catching bits of conversation. Patton texted Virgil to let him know it was almost his turn. Meanwhile, Patton started to doubt his plan. It really was possible that he was about to make a huge fool of himself. But he reminded himself that all he was doing was introducing himself to Roman, and even if it didn’t go the way that he hoped, it was unlikely to get him kicked out of the building.</p>
<p>Finally, Roman was meeting and greeting the person in front of him. Patton was right there. <em>Roman</em> was right there. Patton could hardly believe Roman was here in person, yet here he was. Patton was going to talk to Roman, and Roman was going to talk back. <em>The Roman Prince</em> was going to learn his name. Well, hear his name. He didn’t really expect Roman to retain it. It was crazy how this moment was going to mean so much to Patton, but for Roman, he was just another face in the crowd.</p>
<p>And then the person in front of him walked away, and it was his turn.</p>
<p>Roman ushered him forward, and he stepped up. “Greetings! I am Roman Prince,” Roman bellowed. It was probably the hundredth show where he’d met hundreds of people in a row, and yet he seemed genuinely excited to meet Patton. He held out his hand, and Patton went in for a handshake; however, instead of shaking his hand, Roman brought Patton’s hand to his face and pressed a kiss to the back of Patton’s hand. On top of that, he bowed, and Patton couldn’t help it, he swooned. He was very, <em>very</em> attracted to men (he was grateful that the name on his hand was a traditionally masculine one), and here, in front of him, was Roman Prince, laying it on thick, and he was eating it up. He felt himself blush, and he giggled nervously, butterflies filling his stomach. Roman straightened back up (although there was nothing straight about the man in front of him), and he smiled, pleased to have elicited such a reaction from one of his fans. He peered into Patton’s eyes, and asked, with all sincerity, “And what might your name be?”</p>
<p>Patton was so starstruck, he forgot his plan. “I’m Patton—” but he remembered just in time, “—tly pleased to meet you.” <em>Whew. Nice save.</em> Time to find out once and for all who Roman’s real soulmate was. “My name is Virgil Storm.”</p>
<p>But it had exactly the effect he had been hoping. Roman’s persona dropped on the spot—the smile, the charm, his posture, all of it. It was like hearing the name made him forget to act at all, and for a second, Patton glimpsed the real Thomas Sanders behind Roman Prince, who was just a lonely person looking for companionship, just like anyone else. Patton could tell because Roman was looking at him like he was water in the desert.</p>
<p>Roman’s eyes darted around, and then he stepped up to Patton, stopping when there were only a few inches between them. He was impossibly close, and Patton could smell the mint on his breath. With his hands hidden between them, Roman started to take off his red glove.</p>
<p>“You can’t tell anyone what I’m about to show you,” he said in a low voice. “It’s complicated. I’ll explain later.” He freed his hand and revealed his palm to Patton.</p>
<p>The name on his skin was “Virgil Storm.”</p>
<p>Patton gasped. “I knew it!” he screeched. He started jumping up and down. Roman quickly curled his hand into a fist before siding his glove back on. Before Roman could say anything else, Patton said, “I’m not Virgil Storm. My name is Patton.”</p>
<p>Roman’s eyes went wide, probably alarmed that he had just revealed his biggest secret to a random fan. “How could you—wait,” he narrowed his eyes, “how did you know?”</p>
<p>“Because I know Virgil Storm! He’s my best friend! And you’ll never guess what the name on his hand is!”</p>
<p>“Probably mine,” Roman said, speaking the obvious.</p>
<p>“Yep!” Patton confirmed.</p>
<p>“Is he here tonight?” Roman asked hopefully.</p>
<p>“Yeah, we came to see the concert together.”</p>
<p>“Then why is he not with you?”</p>
<p>“We only had one meet-and-greet pass,” Patton explained. “He insisted that I take it because he knew how much it would mean to me to meet you,” he said, choosing to leave out the detail that Virgil had been crushed by Rony Rayn’s announcement.</p>
<p>“Well, it would me a lot to <em>me</em> to meet <em>him</em>,” Roman said. “But I know how to make that happen.” He pulled two laminated pieces of paper on lanyards out of his pocket and offered them to Patton. “Backstage passes,” he explained. “Will you do me the honor of bringing him to me after the show?”</p>
<p>Patton could feel himself beaming. He was being handed backstage passes by <em>Roman Prince himself.</em> He giggled as he took them. “Sure!”</p>
<p>“Splendid! Now, I believe our time is up. But will you grant me one request?”</p>
<p>Roman had brought Patton so much joy, the least he could do was do something for him in return. “Whatever you want!”</p>
<p>“Deliver unto Virgil a message from me. Tell him—” Roman fished for words, appearing flustered. Patton found it to be entirely too endearing. “Ah, I was trying to think of something poetic, but my inspiration seems to be failing me. Tell him that when he’s watching me on stage, he can be sure I’m thinking of him and counting down the minutes until we meet.”</p>
<p>Patton put his hands over his heart. “Aww, that’s so romantic! I’ll tell him.”</p>
<p>“Wonderful! It was truly a pleasure to meet you, Patrick.”</p>
<p>Patton’s smile faltered. “It’s Patton.”</p>
<p>Roman threw his hands into the air. “I was close.” He put the act pack on and bowed for Patton. “Farewell! I shall see you again after the show!”</p>
<p>Patton giggled again and waved as he started walking away. “Bye!”</p>
<p>He was ushered away by a man who looked like a bodyguard. He made his way through a winding channel of thick ropes which deposited him back at the front of the stadium. Patton looped the passes around his neck and texted Virgil that he had met Roman and was ready to meet up again. He parked himself next to a concession stand, gave Virgil instructions about where to find him, and waited. Soon enough Virgil—the soulmate of Roman Prince himself—came into view. Patton leaped into the air and waved his hands to get Virgil’s attention. Virgil spotted him and made his way over, reuniting them.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He caught sight of the new accessories dangling from Patton’s neck. He pointed. “Whatcha got there?”</p>
<p>Patton couldn’t contain his smile. “Backstage passes!”</p>
<p>Virgil raised his eyebrows. “Seriously? I guess it went well, then.”</p>
<p>Patton bounced on his toes. “You could say that.”</p>
<p>Virgil’s eyes narrowed. “What did you say to him to get him to give you backstage passes?”</p>
<p>Patton grasped his hands behind his back, rocking from his toes to his heels and back, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. “I <em>may</em> have told him that my name is Virgil Storm.”</p>
<p>Virgil took a step back, looking wounded. “What! Patton, why would you do that?”</p>
<p>“I wanted to see how he would react,” Patton defended. “Besides, it paid off.”</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>Patton’s irrepressible smile was back. He stepped close to Virgil and whispered, “He took off his glove for me.”</p>
<p>Virgil’s eyes were wide as saucers, filled with hope for the impossible. “What did it say? What was on his hand?”</p>
<p>In response, Patton smirked and raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>Virgil pointed to himself, mouth slightly ajar. “My name?”</p>
<p>Patton nodded vigorously.</p>
<p>Virgil covered his mouth with his hand, and he looked like he might start crying. “You better not be lying to me.”</p>
<p>“He wants to meet you! Would he have given me these if he didn’t?” He held up the backstage passes. “He wanted me to tell you—oh, what did he say?—something like, you’ll be on his mind while he’s singing, but he said it way better than I did.”</p>
<p>Virgil’s eyes were shining. “He wants to meet me? He really said that?”</p>
<p>“Of course he does! You’re his soulmate!”</p>
<p>“I’m really his soulmate?” he said in a thick voice.</p>
<p>“Yes, silly! That’s what this whole conversation is about.”</p>
<p>Patton watched as Virgil processed the news. He started shaking, and he squeezed his eyes shut, tears spilling out. Patton grew concerned and pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry. I thought you wanted him to be your soulmate.”</p>
<p>Virgil hugged him in return. “It’s not that he’s Roman Prince,” Virgil explained, voice still thick, “it’s that he’s Thomas Sanders. I’m gonna meet my Thomas Sanders tonight.”</p>
<p>“You are. And it’s gonna be amazing.” He rubbed Virgil’s back. “But for now, let’s go find our seats and wait for the show.”</p>
<p>Virgil took a step back and wiped his eyes. “We’re not going to use the backstage passes?”</p>
<p>“No, we will,” Patton assured him. “After it’s over. I think the concert will be more enjoyable if we watch it from the front.”</p>
<p>Virgil sniffed. “Okay. Let’s go, then.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So due to life circumstances and the state of my mental health, I have decided to take it easy for the rest of the month and stop trying to post something every day. It's a grueling pace, and if I keep pushing myself like this, I'll burn out.</p>
<p>That being said, I still have some ideas that I want to explore, and I fully intend to finish this story as well as the story from Day Twelve, the one where you meet your soulmate in your dreams. I'm hoping that lightening my writing load will mean that I can focus on the stories that inspire me and that it will allow me to write them in a way I can be proud of, instead of just cranking them out for the sake of meeting an arbitrary deadline. I'll try to finish them before the end of September, but if that doesn't happen, I'll continue posting in October until I'm satisfied with the story.</p>
<p>Regardless, if you've stuck with me all month, thank you so much for taking the time to read everything I've posted (or even just some of what I've posted). This has truly been an experiment, and the fact that people have been interested in it blows my mind. It means so much to me to have readers like you. Stay awesome, and I'll see you in the next chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Day One Pt. Six</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Virgil and Patton watch Roman's concert, and they get a little surprise afterward.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The most boring part was definitely waiting for the concert to start. They had mid-level seats; they weren’t on the ground, but they were closer than the nose-bleed section. The location actually had a decent view of the stage, and Virgil could tell that he was going to enjoy himself when the concert did start.</p>
<p>He was glad the whole soulmate thing had been cleared up because he knew that the whole experience would have been dampened for him if it hadn’t. At first, he’d been pissed that Patton had brought up his name to Roman Prince, but now he was grateful. He was going to get to see his soulmate in person for the first time, and not just to meet him. He was going to get to see his soulmate in his element, doing what he loved. He supposed there could be many more concerts in his future, if he were so inclined. But there would be plenty of time to make those decisions later.</p>
<p>They were early enough to catch the warm-up band. It was a group that Virgil didn’t know, but he realized that Patton was right. Even though he didn’t know the music, he enjoyed listening to it more than recorded music. Something about being there, in person, knowing that the music was being made right in front of him gave it a magical quality that he couldn’t describe.</p>
<p>After the warm-up band finished, there was still a solid thirty minutes until Roman came on. A curtain was pulled in front of the stage, presumably to shroud whatever staging needed to be done before the start of the concert. Virgil and Patton chatted over the top forties music that was playing over a loudspeaker. They sang along with some of the songs, dancing and generally having a good time. The wait was long, but Patton made it enjoyable. Virgil was happy to be here with his best friend.</p>
<p>As the time of the concert drew nearer, there was a timer projected on the curtain with a countdown to when Roman would come on. Projected behind it was a red and gold shield, the emblem of Roman Prince. As Virgil talked to Patton, he stared at the emblem. It was familiar to him at this point; of course it was. It was on the cover of all his albums in various forms, and it was on his Roman Prince poster. But this was the largest he had ever seen it, and it made all the details stand out in new ways, even with numbers over it.</p>
<p>And the numbers ticked down. Twenty minutes. Ten. Five. Two. Sixty seconds. Thirty. Fifteen. Three. Two.</p>
<p>One.</p>
<p>The lights dimmed until only the stage was lit. Cheers echoed through the large space. It was starting. It was finally starting. Virgil heard Patton yelling next to him, and he couldn’t help but cheer along. An orchestra started playing an introduction of sorts, but as far as Virgil could tell, it didn’t resemble a song he recognized. Spotlights circled the curtain as the orchestral melody swelled, and the suspense with it. The orchestra settled on a sustained note, and the spotlights landed in the center of the curtains, illuminating a silhouette. The orchestra cut off, and over the silence, a single vocal note rang out. The cheer of the crowd drowned out the voice of Roman Prince, and Virgil couldn’t help it, he cheered, too. Roman riffed on the note, the way he began all his concerts, and Virgil delighted in the fact that he was finally getting to experience it in person. He built up the suspense, reaching high into his range. But instead of bringing the improvises melody to its resolution, he said, low in his baritone voice, “Welcome to the show!”</p>
<p>The crowd went wild, completely eating up Roman’s theatrics. Virgil absolutely lost it, and the curtain was still drawn. <em>Roman hadn’t even appeared yet.</em> Luckily, they were done teasing the audience, and as the cheers started to die down, the opening song started, the curtain opened, and a spotlight shined on the star of the night. The cheering picked right back up, and Virgil wondered if he would even get to hear music at all. Just Roman’s presence was enough to inspire applause from thousands of people. It spoke to his gift of showmanship.</p>
<p>Virgil finally understood why Patton had insisted that Virgil would enjoy the show, even when he was still reluctant to go. It wasn’t just about listening to the music; Roman was <em>performing</em>. He flung himself all over the stage, dancing and flirting with the audience as he sang. His body was <em>alive</em> with energy. It fed the crowd, and the crowd fed it right back to Roman. Virgil’s hands and voice were already sore from clapping and cheering for him. He sang just as expressively as he was moving. It was so delightful to listen to that Virgil didn’t know if he’d ever stop smiling. It was like hearing the song for the first time, even though he had listened to it over and over. It was the most fun Virgil had ever had in his life.</p>
<p>The song concluded, and the crowd lost it. Roman stood in the middle of the stage, beaming and taking it all in. He bowed, and cheers erupted anew. After he stood up, he started pacing at the front of the stage, waiting for the audience to quiet, and when they did, Roman’s panting into the microphone was audible. He had really given the number his all, and this was proof. Virgil wondered how he would keep this energy up through the show, but he had no doubt that Roman could do it.</p>
<p>When the applause stopped, Roman spoke. “Greetings, wonderful citizens! How is everyone doing tonight?” The crowd cheered again, much more subdued than the ones they had given thus far. It seemed everyone needed to recover from the explosive opening number. “Wow, you all are enthusiastic!” More cheers. “You need to pace yourselves, or you’ll have nothing to give at the end of the show!” Laughter rang through the stadium.</p>
<p>Roman continued to banter for a bit, and Virgil was completely captivated. His soulmate knew how to work the audience and entertain them, even when he wasn’t singing. Virgil leaning over to Patton. “He’s a fantastic showman.” He had to yell a bit to be heard over everything.</p>
<p>“He really is,” Patton yelled back.</p>
<p>Virgil was struck with a sudden realization. <em>How is </em>he <em>my soulmate? </em>Roman was charm and charisma personified. Virgil had the charm of a racoon rummaging through a dumpster, and he had the charisma of a grumpy chihuahua with the anxiety to match. If it was Virgil with the microphone instead of Roman, he would be booed off the stage. They couldn’t be more opposite, yet somehow, they were meant to be together? How was that possible? Virgil couldn’t help but think that maybe Roman would be better off with someone like Rony Rayn as a soulmate. But he reminded himself of what Patton said, that Roman wanted to meet him. He just hoped he didn’t disappoint Roman when he did.</p>
<p>Roman’s banter led into the next number, and Virgil jammed along with the beat. He could feel the bass booming in his chest, and it was fantastic. The music took him out of his head, which let him enjoy the moment. It was a nice contrast to the anxiety he was used to feeling.</p>
<p>They played several songs in a row, some of Roman’s more pop-y numbers to get the audience warmed up. Then there was some more banter, Roman talking about how happy he was to be there and how much he loved their city, and the cynical part of Virgil wondered if he wasn’t obligated to say that at every show. Still, the way he delivered it made Virgil inclined to believe it, even though he knew it was entirely possible it was all BS. Roman was smooth like that. He could sell honey to bees.</p>
<p>Next, he performed some of the more obscure numbers from earlier in his career and from his darker phase, which gave people a chance to settle and relax a bit before he played his more popular numbers. Virgil had seen the old music videos, and it was a bit surreal to watch Roman perform the numbers in his present-day style.</p>
<p>When he finished those, he talked about <em>Storm Cloud</em> and how proud he was of it, how it was strange for him to produce songs that had been private for so long but how rewarding it was to hear them in their finished forms.</p>
<p>And then he started to sing them.</p>
<p>Virgil’s breath caught in his chest. He thought he was prepared to hear Roman sing these songs in person. He was wrong. If he thought the recordings of the songs were passionate, they were nothing compared to the absolute adoration Roman was pouring into his voice. Virgil teared up during the first song, and by the third, he was full-on crying. That was his <em>soulmate</em>, singing these songs for <em>him</em>. So he was already a wreck when Roman sat down on a stool in the middle of the stage with his guitar. He looked like he was about to start playing, but before he could, as if at the last second, he adjusted his microphone and cleared his throat. “Before I begin, I, um,” he said, uncharacteristically shy. His voice was thick, full of emotion. “There’s someone really special to me here tonight, and I think you know who you are.” Patton patted Virgil on the back, and Virgil gasped through his tears. Roman took a deep breath. “I just want to say to you that I’m thinking of you, and I can’t wait to see you after the show. This next song is dedicated to you. I mean,” he closed his eyes and shook his head. “They all are, this whole performance, everything I am is dedicated to you.” Virgil sobbed. “But I think now is a good time to say it, because I never want you to doubt my intentions and the way I feel about you.” <em>They hadn’t even met yet</em>. “So here is a very special rendition of ‘The Letter V.’”</p>
<p>Virgil—heck, the whole audience—figured out quickly what made it special. This song had been released as a guitar solo, yet Roman was vocalizing. There were no lyrics, but the way Roman almost pronounced syllables, only to catch himself and stop, suggested that there might be. His voice rang out clear and bright, and Virgil covered his mouth as he sobbed. It gave the song a whole new dimension of bittersweetness, and there was too much emotion for Virgil to contain. He couldn’t even identify all the things he was feeling, let alone begin to process them. All he knew was that the song was beautiful, his soulmate was beautiful, and Virgil already loved him. And from everything he knew about Roman, his Thomas Sanders already loved him, too.</p>
<p>The song resolved, concluded, and the stadium burst with applause. Anyone who wasn’t already on their feet jumped up to give Roman a standing ovation for the number, including Patton and Virgil. A member of the stage crew came out to collect the guitar and the stool, and Roman handed them over solemnly. Unlike with the other numbers, he didn’t bask in the cheers. Instead, he brought his hand to his face and wiped at something invisible to the audience. Was he crying? But he collected himself, and he smiled and waved, acknowledging the praise.</p>
<p>When the crowd died down, he shook his arms out. “Whew! That was emotional, wasn’t it? Not quite what you guys paid to see. No, you came here to have fun. Let’s liven things back up a bit.” The band behind him started playing, and Roman launched into another number.</p>
<p>The next round of songs was some the more popular songs that played on the radio all the time. But Virgil was still reeling from “The Letter V,” too emotional to enjoy Roman performing his hits. He sat down, hugging himself as he let the tears slip down his face. Patton sat down with him, rubbing his back until he recovered. It took about two and a half songs for him to get his breath back, and then he and Patton were standing again, jamming with Roman’s music.</p>
<p>The rest of the concert progressed in similar fashion, with Roman rolling out hit after hit, throwing in some of the more upbeat songs from <em>Storm cloud</em> and bantering in between. At one point, He hopped down to the floor and walked through the fans, guided by security guards. He covered a couple of songs, too, one that were apparently favorites of his and were “privileges to perform.” Virgil almost missed the beginning of the second half from having to wait in the stupidly long line for the bathroom during intermission.</p>
<p>But the numbers just kept coming and coming, and as much as Virgil enjoyed Roman’s music and watching him perform it, the longer the show went on, the more anxious he became. He was ready to meet Roman, and he felt like Roman was just dragging the show out at this point. But he reminded himself that Roman was just as anxious to meet him, and that he was just doing his job.</p>
<p>He was so excited when Roman was finally performing his final bows and leaving the stage. Now was the time, he was going to—oh wait, Roman was coming back on to perform an encore. Or three. Virgil sat through them, leg bouncing, impatient. Would the concert ever end?</p>
<p>But Roman had one more surprise for them.</p>
<p>For the last verse of the final number—or what was presumably the final number—the band cut out. Roman motioned with his arms for the audience to quiet their cheers, and Virgil wondered what he was doing. Then, he unhooked the microphone from his ear, holding it away from his face. <em>Was he done singing?</em> But the answer was no, because Roman belted the last verse to the stadium <em>without a microphone</em>. It was quiet compared to the sheer volume of the music that had been coming through the loudspeakers, but the fact that Roman projecting his voice was audible at all in the massive space proved his skill as a vocalist. Virgil had believed that there was nothing more Roman could do to impress him, and he was so delighted to be proven wrong. To hear Roman’s natural voice without the aid of technology was the highlight of Virgil’s night. So far, at least.</p>
<p>When the final note cut off, Roman bowed deeply, the crowd went wild with uproarious applause. The whole stadium gave a standing ovation to the spectacular show, and the band played as Roman exited the stage.</p>
<p>Patton tugged at Virgil’s arm. “C’mon, let’s start heading out before the exit gets crowded.”</p>
<p>The pair held hands as they navigated their way through the stadium, looking for a way to get backstage. Virgil’s heart was pounding. He was <em>so close</em>. But the rest of the audience wasn’t far behind them, and they were quickly lost in a sea of people. They got caught in a crowd trying to buy merchandise at the last minute, and that held them up quite a bit.</p>
<p>Before they could make it to any sort of backstage area, they heard yelling coming from the opposite direction they were heading.</p>
<p>“It’s Roman Prince!”</p>
<p>“Roman?”</p>
<p>“Roman Prince is over there!”</p>
<p>Patton and Virgil looked at each other and turned around to see what all the commotion was about. “I though you said he was going to meet us backstage?” Virgil asked.</p>
<p>“That’s what he told me,” Patton said. “Change of plans, I guess?”</p>
<p>They followed the flow of traffic to an area where a large crowd was congregating. Everyone was pushing and shoving, trying to make it closer to the center. Patton and Virgil hovered around the outside of the commotion, unwilling to participate until they knew more about what was happening.</p>
<p>“Can you see what’s going on?” Patton asked Virgil.</p>
<p>Virgil jumped to try to get a better view. What he was able to glimpse was a pair of massive bodyguards and flashes of Roman Prince between them.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s Roman in the middle of the crowd.” Virgil had to yell to be heard over the din.</p>
<p>“Well, what are you waiting for?” Patton said. “Go to him!”</p>
<p>“You say that like it’s easy! There’s like a thousand people between us and him.”</p>
<p>“So, push your way through.”</p>
<p>“Error 404: anxiety prevents me from doing that.” And Virgil was anxious. The absolutely insane amount of people combined with the sheer amount of noise had his social anxiety cranked up to eleven. He gripped Patton’s hand.</p>
<p>Patton’s dad friend anxiety override kicked in. “Okay. Follow me. And whatever you do, don’t let go.” He launched himself into the crowd and started shoving, pulling Virgil with him before he had the chance to protest.</p>
<p>Virgil’s first instinct was to dig his heels in, but he quickly realized that that would only make things worse. Patton was charging ahead with or without him, and the last thing he wanted was for them to get separated.</p>
<p>He was surprised because they were actually making progress. Patton slipped through the crowd like an eel, finding the tiniest breaks between people and squeezing through. Virgil was not so agile. He kept bumping into people and almost getting stuck.</p>
<p>Virgil got an idea. This would be easier if Roman headed in their direction while they worked their way toward him. That way, they wouldn’t have to push through as many people. But in order for that to happen, Roman needed to know which way to go. Virgil brought his hand to his face and, in an attempt to not let go of Patton’s hand, yanked his glove off with his teeth and slipped it into his pocket. He held his hand up over the crowd. Hopefully, Roman would look in their direction and see his name on Virgil’s hand.</p>
<p>At one point, when Virgil almost fell behind <em>again</em> and was trying to catch up to Patton. He bumped into him because he hadn’t realized Patton had stopped moving. He was bouncing on his toes, trying to get a look over the crowd. He turned and yelled into Virgil’s ear, “He’s moving away from us!”</p>
<p>Something clicked for Virgil. <em>No</em>. He was so close, <em>so close</em> to meeting Roman, to meeting Thomas. He wouldn’t get another chance like this. And he wasn’t about to let it slip away from him. He took in a deep breath, and in a voice that startled even himself, he screamed.</p>
<p>“THOMAS!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What, did you think I wouldn't draw this out? Feel free to yell at me about leaving y'all on a cliffhanger. I know what I'm doing!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Day One Pt. Seven</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Virgil and Roman finally meet!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There's some swearing in the chapter, and a character passes out. They're fine, though.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roman had miscalculated. He’d been rash and impatient—he would readily admit that—and he was paying for it now.</p><p>After intermission, the show had dragged for Roman, like fate was just trying to draw out the anticipation of meeting his soulmate. As soon as he’d gotten off stage, he’d gone right to his dressing room to change and wait for Virgil Storm to find him. But his excitement had gotten the better of him, and he hadn’t been able to sit still. He marched out of the dressing room and through the stadium trailed by bodyguards asking what he was doing and begging him to go back, but he wasn’t listening. Virgil Storm was here tonight, and Roman was determined to find him.</p><p>He’d been able to walk through the stadium for about five minutes unrecognized (it was amazing how far casual clothes could go as a disguise). In that time, it occurred to him that he had no plan. What, did he think he’d just wander at random until he found someone he’d never met? He didn’t even know what Virgil Storm looked like. And, sure, it was all well and good to sing about knowing one’s soulmate by instinct, but in reality, he wouldn’t be able to tell just by looking. And maybe Virgil’s friend could be a clue, if only he remembered what his face looked like. He met so many people, they all blurred together.</p><p>He was about to cut his losses and head back to his dressing room when he hit someone with his shoulder. The woman said sorry for bumping into him, and he’d responded out of habit. “No need to apologize.” It wouldn’t have been a big deal, if he wasn’t—who he was. Or even if he hadn’t opened his mouth.</p><p>But he watched in horror as the woman recognized his voice and yelled, “It’s Roman Prince!”</p><p>As if on command, he was swarmed. He was suddenly grateful for the presence of the bodyguards. They were the only standing between him and getting crushed by hundreds of bodies. Great, how was he supposed to get back to his dressing room now? “Sorry, guys,” he muttered. It was his fault they were in this mess. The bodyguards pushed their way through the crowd, trying to make progress to get Roman away from everyone. He followed them as they inched.</p><p>There was a cacophony as the whole swarm tried to get his attention. He was completely overwhelmed. He was doing his best just to smile and wave. He had an image to maintain, after all. But the longer he was exposed to the din, the more he wanted nothing other than to seclude himself in his trailer. He may be an extrovert desperate for people’s approval and adoration, but even he had his limits.</p><p>He also realized how foolish he was to come out here. There was no way he would meet Virgil Storm now. His best hope was that Virgil and his friend had made it backstage and would be waiting for him to return. That’s what he had told them, wasn’t it? To meet him backstage? And yet he’d barged out here instead? He was such an idiot.</p><p>“THOMAS!”</p><p>He turned at the sound of his name, his real name. No one called him Thomas outside of his family and his agent when he was being extra condescending. Some fans had tried to use his name since the interview where he’d revealed it, but he corrected them every time. To the fans, he was Roman Prince. No one was allowed to call him that except for—</p><p>That’s when he saw it. Over the heads of the crowd, someone was raising their hand. And printed across the palm was the name “Thomas Sanders.”</p><p>His name.</p><p>Virgil.</p><p>He started shoving his way through the crowd on his own, in a completely different direction from the bodyguards, desperate to make it to his soulmate. His real soulmate.</p><p>People kept laying their hands on him and pulling at him, each individual grabbing at their chance to say they had been close to him, to have their claim to fame. Roman didn’t care about them now that he knew Virgil Storm was here. He followed the hand like a guiding star, focused on the singular purpose of reaching the man attached. He had never been so close.</p><p>He considered calling out Virgil’s name, but he knew he couldn’t. He needed to keep his soulmate’s name hidden, to have Virgil say it first before he unveiled his hand. As soon as he said his soulmate’s name aloud, everyone around him would claim to be Virgil Storm. And that would be the opposite of helpful.</p><p>He pressed closer. . . closer. . . closer. . . until he was close enough to reach out and grab the hand, the one with “Thomas Sanders” on it. He yanked their arms down and pulled until there was no one between them, until he was standing face-to-face with the man he was holding hands with. The man had purple hair and dark circles under his big brown eyes, the color of melted chocolate. Those eyes were shining, staring at Roman like he was the answer to all of life’s problems, like there was nothing he’d rather see. Roman, still holding the guy’s hand, ducked his head down until it was right next to his ear. “What’s your name?” He asked for only the man to hear.</p><p>His ear tickled as the man whispered exactly what he wanted to hear: “Virgil Storm.”</p><p>Roman pulled back, smiling his cocky smile that he knew drove people crazy, just slightly crooked, showing a little bit of teeth. “Found you,” he said.</p><p>Unfortunately, he miscalculated. He must have laid it on a little too thick because the next thing he knew, Virgil’s eyes fluttered, and he was going down. Roman’s smile fell with him, and he reached out to catch Virgil so he wouldn’t hit the ground. Roman shoved people out of the way so he could lay Virgil down. “Move!” He shouted. “Give him some room!”</p><p>“Virgil!” Someone shouted from behind him, and then there was another person next to Virgil. Roman recognized Patrick—Peter? Or was it Paxton? Whatever his name was, he had his hands on Virgil, too, and was helping guide him to the ground. The crowd finally realize what was going on and backed up, the one useful thing they had done so far. A space formed for them to set Virgil down, and the sudden lack of bodies was a relief.</p><p>With one of his hands, Roman cradled Virgil’s head like a pillow. With the other, he held Virgil’s hand to his chest, the one with his name on it. He watched Virgil’s face intently, memorizing it, as he waited for Virgil to wake up.</p><hr/><p>The first thing Virgil became aware of was the roaring in his ears, the sound of hundreds of people talking at the same time. He tried to open his eyes, but it was too bright, and he closed them again.</p><p>“I think he’s waking up!” That was Patton’s voice.</p><p>“C’mon, Stormcloud, I’m waiting for you,” said a gentle, melodic voice.</p><p>Virgil squinted against the light. “What the fuck did you just call me?”</p><p>“What, Stormcloud? You don’t like it?”</p><p>“A little on the nose, don’t you think?”</p><p>The voice above him chuckled. “Perhaps.”</p><p>Virgil opened his eyes fully, blinking as he adjusted to the fluorescents. He remembered where he was, and he tried to process the fact that Roman Prince was kneeling next to him, literally holding his hand. It didn’t compute. “What happened?”</p><p>“You fainted,” Roman stated. He shrugged, but he was smiling. “I have that effect on people sometimes.”</p><p>Virgil scoffed, annoyance prickling in his chest. “Fuck off with your big ego. I was having a panic attack before you showed up.” He tried to sit up, but he moved too fast and dizziness overcame him. He would have fallen back down if Patton and Roman weren’t holding onto him, guiding him back to the ground.</p><p>“Take it easy. Just rest for a bit,” Roman said.</p><p>But Virgil was started to get overwhelmed by all the people staring at them. He wanted to be literally anywhere else. “I need—”</p><p>“What? What do you need? All you must do is ask, and it shall be yours.”</p><p>“Oh my god, shut up. You’re so dramatic. I just need to get away from everyone.”</p><p>Patton nodded. “That sounds like a good plan. I’d like to go somewhere quieter, too.”</p><p>“Very well,” Roman said. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Virgil wondered who he was calling. “It’s me. I need you to send paramedics to my dressing room.”</p><p>Virgil’s eyes went wide. “I don’t need para—”</p><p>Roman shushed him by placing a finger over his mouth. People actually did that? “No, I’m fine. It’s not for me, it’s for Virgil.” After a brief pause Roman sighed. “Yes, <em>that</em> Virgil. I told you he was here.” He listened for a bit, and then said, “Thank you. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.” He hung up and pocketed the device.</p><p>“Who was that?” Patton asked.</p><p>“My agent. He’ll make the arrangements to make sure Virgil is okay. In the meantime, let’s get out of here, shall we?”</p><p>Patton and Roman helped Virgil up, and when he was standing, the crowd gave a round of applause. Virgil rolled his eyes. He was fine.</p><p>But before he could take a step, Roman looped Virgil’s arm over his shoulder. “What are you doing?” Virgil asked.</p><p>“Let your friend support you on the other side. If you appear to be injured, people will move out of the way.”</p><p>“There’s no way that’ll work.”</p><p>But Patton had already swung Virgil’s other arm over his shoulders, a smile on his face, happy to comply with whatever Roman Prince told him to do. Virgil rolled his eyes again. They were making too big a deal out of this.</p><p>Yet sure enough, people cleared a path for the three of them. It was much easier than the way Patton and Virgil had been worming through the crowd. Roman leaned in to whisper in Virgil’s ear. “Limp. It’ll make it more convincing.”</p><p>The feeling of Roman breath on his skin gave him chills all over his body, and he suppressed a shiver. “How would I have hurt my leg from passing out?”</p><p>“Just do it.”</p><p>Virgil sighed and favored one of his legs heavily. Roman’s lips returned to Virgil’s ear. “You’re overselling it.”</p><p>“Some of us don’t act for a living,” Virgil retorted, but he made his fake limp more subtle.</p><p>The crowd seemed never-ending, but they finally made it to a door labeled “Staff Only,” where the people wouldn’t be able to follow them. Roman opened the door for the other two, and they all slipped in, sighing after the door closed behind them.</p><p>Virgil took his arms back. “Okay, I can walk on my own from here.”</p><p>Roman looked at him with concern. “Are you sure?”</p><p>“I feel a lot better now that we’re alone.” And it was true. He could feel the anxiety draining from his body.</p><p>“As you wish,” Roman said. “Follow me.”</p><p>They wandered through a long, gray hallway, which connected to more long, gray hallways. They passed several rooms, all of which were dark. Roman took turns seemingly at random, and after wandering for too long, Virgil realized that was because he <em>was</em> taking turns at random.</p><p>“You have no idea where we’re going, do you?”</p><p>Roman scoffed. “I <em>do</em> know where I’m going, I’m just—giving you a tour.”</p><p>“Uh-huh, sure.”</p><p>Virgil didn’t miss when Roman mumbled, “It’s gotta be around here somewhere.”</p><p>They came to the end of a hallway and had to decide whether to go left or right. Roman went left. They took about five steps in that direction before they heard from behind them, “Thomas Sanders.”</p><p>Roman froze. He turned around. Virgil turned as well to find a man standing in the door to one of the rooms. He was dressed in a suit and was wearing a bowler hat, for some reason. One of his hands was covered with a yellow glove, and the left side of his face was covered with some sort of markings. It looked like tattooed scales.</p><p>Virgil wondered who the man was and how he knew Roman. He couldn’t be a fan, right? A fan wouldn’t say Roman’s name like he was reprimanding him. His professional attire was a clue. Probably someone who worked with Roman.</p><p>The man started strolling their direction, arms crossed. “You know better than to abandon your dressing room without even telling me and wander into <em>public</em> on your own without the protection of security.”</p><p>“I had security guards with me,” Roman said, defending himself.</p><p>“Oh, really? And where are they now?”</p><p>Roman looked around as if just now realizing that they weren’t there. “Oops.”</p><p>The man in the hat sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”</p><p>Roman gave him a smile and an exaggerated shrug. “Forgive me?” he suggested.</p><p>The man’s stern expression cracked, and the corners of his mouth ticked upward.</p><p>Roman’s smile grew. “See? You can’t stay mad at me.”</p><p>“Thomas Sanders, you’re the bane of my existence.”</p><p>“And you’re the bane of mine.” He draped his arm around Virgil’s shoulder. “This is Virgil Storm, by the way, not that you asked.” He motioned toward the man. “Virgil, this is my agent, Janus Menteur.”</p><p>“Mhm, and who’s the random fan that followed the two of you?” Janus questioned.</p><p>“That’s Baxter, Virgil’s friend.”</p><p>“Wow, that wasn’t even close,” Virgil said, speaking for the first time since meeting Janus.</p><p>“But you tried!” Patton said, ever optimistic. He turned to Janus. “My name is Patton. I’m with Virgil. It’s nice to meet you!”</p><p>“Likewise,” Janus said, sounding completely insincere. “Now, what was it you were saying about Virgil needing paramedics? He looks fine to me.”</p><p>“I <em>am</em> fine,” Virgil insisted. “He’s just being dramatic and making a big deal out of nothing.”</p><p>“He does that frequently,” Janus said. “I think you and I will get along just fine.”</p><p>Virgil was skeptical. Janus’s vibe was off-putting, and Virgil could already tell he wanted to interact with Janus as little as possible.</p><p>“He fainted upon meeting me. I need to make sure he’s alright,” Roman insisted.</p><p>Janus inclined his head, motioning toward the room he’d emerged from. “They’re in your dressing room, as you requested.”</p><p>Roman moved his hand to the small of Virgil’s back as he guided him forward. Virgil reluctantly walked without protest. Patton followed them into the dressing room.</p><p>“You’re welcome,” Janus said patronizingly.</p><p>“Thank you,” Roman responded as he closed the door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Day One Pt. Eight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Virgil and Roman get to know each other a little.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Content warning: swearing, food mention</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The paramedics gave Virgil a quick check-up and confirmed that he was, indeed, fine. They concluded that Virgil’s fainting was likely the result of lack of oxygen from his panic attack. Patton also informed them that he and Virgil hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so low blood sugar probably contributed to it, as well. They instructed Virgil to take it easy and eat something, and then they left the three of them alone in the dressing room. Roman ordered pizza for them, and then he walked over and knelt in front of Virgil where he was sitting.</p><p>“Now that that’s all settled, let’s try this again, shall we?” He said. He took off his glove, and Virgil’s heart fluttered when he saw his name on Roman’s hand. Not that he hadn’t believed Patton when Patton had told him what he saw, but it was completely different seeing it for himself. “My name is Thomas Sanders. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you.” His voice was gentle and genuine, much softer than Virgil was used to hearing in interviews. A version of Roman’s voice just for him.</p><p>Virgil’s glove was already off. He turned his palm face up to reveal Roman’s name. “I’m Virgil Storm. It’s nice to meet you.”</p><p>Roman reached out and took Virgil’s “Thomas Sanders” hand with his “Virgil Storm” hand, the customary thing to do when meeting one’s soulmate. Roman caught Virgil’s gaze and held it, and in the intimacy of the eye contact, Virgil forgot to breath. Roman was looking at him like he was a million dollars, the answer to his greatest wish. Maybe he was. A slow smile spread across Roman’s face, and Virgil’s own mirrored it. He had thought this moment would never happen, and he had never been happier to be proven wrong. Roman took Virgil’s hand and brought it to his lips, kissing his knuckles. Virgil felt heat spread across his face. Roman’s smile grew. “That’s the most adorable blush I’ve ever seen.”</p><p>“Cheesy,” Virgil said to try to undercut the sincerity of the moment.</p><p>“Would you like me to stop?”</p><p>Virgil surprised himself when he answered, “No.”</p><p>A shrill “Awww!” pierced the room, and Virgil jumped. He had actually forgotten that Patton was there. His head jerked in Patton’s direction. Patton’s hands were clasped by his cheek. “That’s so romantic!” Virgil turned back to Roman to see that he was beaming, clearly taking Patton’s words as a compliment.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Virgil said, again trying to prevent the moment from becoming too heartfelt.</p><p>Roman, still gazing at Virgil, reached up to caress Virgil’s cheek. His touch was so delicate, but it sent chills through Virgil’s body. He hadn’t known that such light, chaste contact could feel so intimate. In a move that surprised even himself, Virgil turned his head to press a kiss to Roman’s palm. Roman’s eyes widened, and he laughed. “You’re cute,” he said.</p><p>“You’re beautiful,” Virgil breathed. And it was true. Roman’s face was physically flawless.</p><p>Roman shrugged. “It’s the makeup. I can’t take credit.”</p><p>“Oh, so <em>now</em> you’re being humble?”</p><p>“Who said I was being humble? Even without makeup, I’m still gorgeous!”</p><p>“There is it, that big ego of yours,” Virgil muttered.</p><p>“But what you see in front of you is the result of professional makeup artists.”</p><p>“Bet they had their work cut out for them.” He raised an eyebrow to see how Roman would respond to his teasing.</p><p>Roman threw his hand over his heart. “You wound me!” he jested.</p><p>“I’m the worst,” Virgil said, only half joking.</p><p>Roman’s hand fluttered to his head so that the back of his hand was covering his forehead, and he collapsed on the floor in a mock fainting spell. “How shall I over recover!”</p><p>“Oh my god, you’re so dramatic!” But Virgil was laughing anyway.</p><p>He stood up and held out his hands in an offer to help Roman up. Roman reached out and took them, but instead of pulling himself up, he pulled Virgil down. Virgil collapsed onto Roman, and at first Virgil was worried that he had hurt him. But with Virgil laying on top of him, Roman crushed Virgil into a hug. “I’m so happy I found you,” he whispered to Virgil.</p><p>Several sarcastic replies flitted through Virgil’s head. <em>Sure, bring me down to your level, </em>or <em>I found you first, </em>or even <em>Look who’s on top now</em>. Instead, Virgil opted for sincerity for once. “I’m happy, too.”</p><p>Roman peppered the side of Virgil’s face with kisses, and Virgil giggled. He honest to god <em>giggled</em>, a noise he’d never heard himself make. The heat returned to his face, but he didn’t care. He was having the best night of his life, and it was in no small part due to this incredible, arrogant, beautiful dumbass who was currently pulling away and gazing up at Virgil, eyes sparkling. “I love making you blush,” Roman said. “It’s my new favorite thing, I’ve just decided.”</p><p>There were many things Virgil could have said in response. Instead, in retaliation, Virgil shifted himself upright, straddling Roman’s abdomen, and before Roman could process what was happening, Virgil grabbed Roman by the wrists and pinned Roman’s hands over his head. He had never done something like this before, and he smiled in triumph, basking in the glory of restraining Roman Prince.</p><p>His goal had been to elicit annoyance from Roman, maybe a bit of aggravation, for Roman to roll his eyes and struggle to get up. And Virgil would have let him; he wasn’t holding Roman very hard. Instead, Roman’s pupils dilated. He started breathing heavily, and it was his turn to blush. “This is new,” he said in a small, deep voice.</p><p>Virgil realized what was happening, and he smiled wider, laughing. “Oh! You <em>like</em> this, don’t you?”</p><p>“Perhaps,” he breathed.</p><p>Someone cleared their throat, and Virgil realized with horror that he had once again forgotten that they weren’t alone, that Patton was <em>still in the room</em>. He promptly let go of Roman’s wrists, stood up, and helped Roman up. Roman was still blushing, and he wouldn’t look anyone in the eye. He held up a finger. “No one—” Roman’s voice cracked, and he had to start over. “No one is allowed to speak of this or post anything about it on the internet.”</p><p>Virgil crossed his arms, still smug. “What? The fact that you’re a sub?”</p><p>Roman glared as Virgil. “I said, <em>no one</em> is allowed to speak of it.”</p><p>“Well,” Patton said, “I guess it’s true what they say, that you learn new things about yourself when you meet your soulmate.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m <em>so</em> telling Janus,” Virgil said. “I feel like it’s exactly the kind of thing he would hold over your head to knock you down a peg or two.”</p><p>Roman didn’t respond. Eyes cast to the ground, he put his glove back on.</p><p>Virgil figured that something was up, since Roman’s air of casual arrogance was gone. “I’m not actually going to tell Janus, especially if it will bother you. But hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”</p><p>“Yeah! There’s nothing wrong with being a sub!” Patton said, encouraging as always.</p><p>Roman stared at his gloved hand and curled it into a fist. His voice was suddenly intense. “You can’t tell anyone or post anything online,” he said, “about any of this. Either of you.”</p><p>Roman’s sudden shift in tone sparked Virgil’s anxiety. “Why not? I mean, I wasn’t planning on it anyway. I’m not a big social media person, and neither is Patton. But I guess I don’t understand what the big deal is?”</p><p>Roman continued to stare at his hand. “For one thing, the second you admit that you’re my soulmate, you and the people close to you will never have an ounce of privacy ever again. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, especially you.”</p><p>“Because I’m your soulmate, or because of my anxiety?” Said anxiety was currently rising.</p><p>“Both.” He closed his eyes and lowered his hand. “The other reason is Rony Rayn.”</p><p>Virgil’s stomach dropped. “What about her?”</p><p>But before Roman could answer, there was a knock at the door. “Pizza delivery for Thomas Sanders?” someone called through the door.</p><p>Roman walked to the door, eager to have a distraction. “We can pick up this conversation after we eat.”</p>
<hr/><p>The air was tense as they consumed their pizza. Everyone was famished, so they were all too busy eating to talk. But the unfinished conversation hung in the air like a storm cloud (ha), dampening their spirits. Virgil watched Roman, who wasn’t looking at either him or Patton. It was still surreal, hanging out with Roman Prince like he was a normal person. Nothing about this situation was normal.</p><p>When everyone was full, they placed themselves in various seats around the room. Notably, Roman sat away from Virgil, and Virgil let him. “Okay, you were saying that we’re not allowed to tell anyone about you, and part of the reason is Rony Rayn.” He could barely voice the name that still felt like swallowing poison. She had tried to take his soulmate from him, and he wasn’t ready to forgive her for that.</p><p>Roman must have picked up on his resentment because he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just licked his lips and stared at the ground.</p><p>“Tell me?” Virgil requested.</p><p>“What do you want to know?” Roman offered in a small voice.</p><p>“Everything. Why is she claiming to be your soulmate when she’s not, why is your name on her hand, and why the fuck haven’t you come out and denied it yet?”</p><p>Roman swallowed hard. He still wasn’t looking Virgil in the eye. “Here’s what you have to understand. I wasn’t involved in the decision. Rony’s agent called Janus and set the whole thing up. It’s a publicity stunt, that’s all it is. Rony’s career is lagging while mine has never been better. When Rony’s agent made the connection between her name and the <em>Storm Cloud </em>album, she decided that Rony could leech off my success. I can’t fault her for that. It’s literally her job to foster Rony’s career. A little makeup and some editing, and then there’s photographic evidence that we’re soulmates, even though it’s not true.” He scrubbed his hand across his face. “The issue was that Janus agreed to it without talking to me first. I don’t think he fully thought through the implications it would have on my life. My personal life. Because I will have to maintain this lie for a long as I live.” He shook his head. “And I could live with that, if I had to. What I can’t live with is—” he paused, choked up, before continuing, “is how it affects you, my <em>real</em> soulmate. Because it <em>does</em> affect you, in more ways than you realize. And I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”</p><p>“Why can’t you tell the truth?” Virgil demanded.</p><p>“Exposing Rony would destroy her career. And then, in retaliation, she would likely destroy mine. She could easily turn it around on me, frame it as a direct attack against her and convince everyone in the industry that I can’t be trusted. No one would work with me, and there would be no opportunities left for me.”</p><p>With each word, it became more and more clear that Roman had put a lot of thought into this, that he was being logical and rational with his decision, and it only made Virgil more upset. Roman going along with it felt like rejection, and he wasn’t handling it well. “So instead you’re going to keep your hand covered and lie for the rest of your life?”</p><p>Roman nodded. “And I need you to do it, too. I mean, you don’t have to keep your hand covered. That’s up to you. Thomas Sanders isn’t exactly a unique name. I’m not worried about that exposing our connection. But you can’t tell anyone about us. You can’t post anything about us on the internet. Heck, I would tell you to keep it a secret even from your best friend if he wasn’t literally in the room with us.” He glanced over to Patton. “The same goes for you. You’re sworn to secrecy, as well.” He turned back to Virgil. “Besides, this could work in your favor.”</p><p>He was in the middle of breaking Virgil’s heart, and he had the <em>audacity</em> to suggest that it could be a good thing? “How?”</p><p>“Even if it weren’t for Rony Rayn, I would still be inclined to keep your existence in my life a secret to protect you from the worst parts of having a famous soulmate. At least with Rony pretending to be my soulmate, no one will seek you out. She knows how to handle the press.”</p><p>Virgil hugged himself. Even though Roman had a point, this wasn’t how he wanted this conversation to go. “Is it stupid of me to be jealous of Rony Rayn?”</p><p>Patton said, “Of course not,” but it was almost inaudible over Roman’s laughter.</p><p>Virgil fought the urge to slap him. “Why is that so funny?”</p><p>“Sorry, it’s just,” he snickered, “the thought of you being jealous of Rony is absurd to me.”</p><p>“Why is that?”</p><p>Roman shook his head. “I’m not attracted to women. At all.”</p><p>That came as a small relief. “Oh.”</p><p>Roman stood. He walked over to Virgil and took Virgil’s hand, sobering. “You have nothing to be jealous of. The only person I want to be in a relationship with is you.” He held Virgil’s hand in both of his. “I want you to remember this moment when you see pictures of us together. My heart belongs only to you. Do you understand?”</p><p>Virgil blinked. “You—want to be in a relationship with me?”</p><p>Roman patted Virgil’s hand. “Of course I do. You’re my soulmate. Rony Rayn doesn’t change that. Even if I have to keep you a secret, I still want you in my life.”</p><p>“But how are we even supposed to be in a relationship?” Virgil said, voice the doubts he’d been experiencing for months. “How are we supposed to be together if we can’t be together, you know? You’re still touring, I’m in college.”</p><p>“For now? Texting. Video chatting. You’re welcome to come and stay with me when I take a break to visit my family. We can have this conversation again when our life circumstances change. But for now, our relationship will have to be digital.” He kissed Virgil’s hand. “Is that okay with you?”</p><p>Virgil paused, considering. He felt better knowing that Roman’s relationship with Rony Rayn was strictly professional. But would a long-distance relationship be okay with him? They weren’t exactly easy. And the circumstances—that his soulmate was famous and that they would have to keep their relationship a secret—would make the relationship even more difficult.</p><p>“You’re welcome to say no,” Roman reminded him. “If you would prefer, after tonight we can go our separate ways, and you can live a normal life free from all the pressures of fame. You could even have a relationship with someone who could actually be there for you. It’s up to you”</p><p>Virgil squeezed Roman’s hand, making up his mind. “I want you in my life, even if it’s hard. I’ve waited so long to meet you, Thomas.” Roman gasped a little when Virgil said his real name. “I’m not giving you up without a fight.”</p><p>Roman smiled. “I knew there was a reason we’re soulmates. I need someone stubborn to stand up to me and reign me in.”</p><p>“Oh, I can do stubborn.”</p><p>“I know you can.” He tugged on Virgil’s arm, and Virgil stood up. He enveloped Virgil in a hug. “I know the circumstances aren’t ideal, but I want you to be the love of my life. I’ve dreamed of you since I was a child, and you’re so much more wonderful than I ever could have imagined.”</p><p>Virgil wrapped his arms around Roman. “Just wait. It’s only a matter of time before I disappoint you.”</p><p>He was expecting Roman to say something about how he shouldn’t be self-deprecating, something like Patton would say. Instead, he said, “I fear the same of myself, that it’s only a matter of time before <em>I</em> disappoint <em>you</em>.”</p><p>“It’s bound to happen for both of us,” Virgil said, ever the realist. “Relationships are never all sunshine and rainbows.”</p><p>“If only it were that easy.” Roman pulled back, and he cradled Virgil’s face in his hands. “I hate to say it, but we won’t have the opportunity to be together like this for quite some time. I know we just met, but would it be alright for me to give you a kiss?”</p><p>Virgil wanted to say yes, he really did. But he just wasn’t ready. “Not yet.” Roman dropped his gaze to the ground to hide his disappointment. Virgil lifted his chin with his finger. “Hey, it will give us something to look forward to for next time.”</p><p>Roman lifted the corners of his mouth in a small smile.</p><p>There was a knock at the door, and Janus poked his head in. “As much as I hate to interrupt,” his voice was dripping with sarcasm, “we need to be leaving soon. Time to say your goodbyes.”</p><p>“I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” Roman assured him, not taking his eyes off Virgil.</p><p>Janus nodded and closed the door.</p><p>Roman sighed. After exchanging numbers (Virgil had the personal number of Roman Prince!), Roman said, “Before we part ways, would you do me the honor of listening to a song I wrote for you?”</p><p>“You mean the whole <em>Storm Cloud </em>album? Didn’t you already play those songs for me tonight?” Virgil teased.</p><p>“I think you’ll find that this song is a bit different from what you’ve heard.”</p><p>“So you <em>did</em> save something just for me?”</p><p>“Of course I did. I’m a hopeless romantic like that.”</p><p>Virgil took Roman's hand and squeezed it. “Of course I want to hear it.”</p><p>Roman smiled and backed away. He approached a guitar case, opened it, and pulled out a well-worn guitar, nothing as fancy as the one he used onstage. “This was my first guitar that I bought at a garage sale and had to restring myself. It’s actually has a really nice sound, if you can look past the appearance.”</p><p>“I think it’s perfect,” Virgil said, smiling at Roman. To Virgil, the imperfection of the guitar was part of its beauty.</p><p>Roman continued smiling at Virgil. “I’m sure at this point you’re familiar with ‘The Letter V,’ but—”</p><p>“Yeah, I used it every time I spell my name.”</p><p>Roman playfully glared at Virgil. “The song, smartass. You’ve heard the instrumental version that was released on <em>Storm Cloud</em>, and you listened to me perform it tonight with vocals. But what you don’t know is that it has lyrics that were never released.”</p><p>Virgil’s eyes widened. He had gotten that impression during the concert, but it was something entirely different to have it confirmed.</p><p>Roman started playing. After a few introductory bars of guitar, the lyrics began.</p><p>It turned out that the real “Letter V” was a deeply romantic love song, and the reason the lyrics hadn’t been released was because the song was addressed <em>directly to Virgil</em>, his name part of the lyrics. So rather than make the lyrics generic, or not release the song at all, Roman had decided to produce the song as an instrumental, saving the lyrics for Virgil and Virgil alone.</p><p>It was profoundly intimate performance. It was one thing to listen to Roman perform the song in a stadium to thousands of people. It was another to be sitting in the same small room, no microphone, with Roman playing just for him.</p><p>Roman’s voice was beautiful and perfect. He hit every note like he was born to sing it. It was different than the polished version of Roman’s voice that was produced in the albums he released, but Virgil found that he preferred it.</p><p>With each new line that proclaimed how much Roman loved him, Virgil became more and more touched. By the final chorus, his vision was blurry from the tears that threatened to spill form his eyes. When Roman strummed the final chord and cut off the final note, Virgil blinked, and the tears escaped.</p><p>Roman reached out and wiped one of them off his face. “I was hoping it would make you emotional, but I didn’t expect you to cry.”</p><p>Virgil sniffed, and wiped the other side of his face. “That was beautiful, Roman.”</p><p>Roman blinked. He looked a little baffled. “Actually, I prefer it when you call me Thomas.”</p><p>Virgil smiled. “Thomas it is.” He laughed a little. “Thomas, I could listen to you sing to me all night.”</p><p>Thomas petted Virgil’s cheek. “And I would love to sing for you as long as your heart desired, but unfortunately, Janus isn’t a patient person.” He sighed. “I must take my leave.”</p><p>Virgil nodded, tears welling up again. “Okay.”</p><p>Thomas set his guitar back in its case. He stood and opened his arms. Virgil stood to meet him, letting himself be embraced, letting himself cry in his soulmate’s arms. Thomas rested his cheek on Virgil’s head. “Fear not, my love. We’ll meet again someday soon. I’ll make it happen.”</p><p>Virgil sniffed again. “Okay,” he said in a thick voice.</p><p>Thomas pulled back, stroking Virgil’s face one more time and planting a kiss on his forehead. More tears spilled from Virgil’s eyes, and Thomas reluctantly stepped back. He fastened the guitar case, picked it up, and made his way toward the door. Virgil was so busy watching Thomas that he didn’t notice Patton step up to him and put an arm around his shoulder. He flinched, but ultimately relaxed into his friend’s touch. Thomas hesitated at the door, looking back at them regretfully.</p><p>Patton smiled at him. “It’s okay,” he said to Thomas. “I’ll take care of him.”</p><p>Thomas nodded, “Thank you, Patton.” He walked out the door and closed it behind him.</p><p>Virgil wasn’t sure why he was so emotional—must have been the stupid song—but he needed to cry it out for a bit after Thomas left. Patton let him, rubbing his back and telling him everything would be okay. Finally, Virgil calmed down, and with hands clasped, they made their way back to the car.</p>
<hr/><p>On the way home, Patton let Virgil verbally process the day, asking him how he felt about the performance and about meeting Roman and listening to Virgil’s responses. Their conversation was interrupted by a text, and Virgil checked his phone. “Huh.”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>“Logan’s asking if I’m okay.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“That’s what I’m texting him.” Logan responded quickly. Virgil’s eyebrows drew together. “He knows I fainted.”</p><p>“How?”</p><p>“He sent me a video.”</p><p>“What is it?”</p><p>Virgil pressed play and watched in horror as himself and Thomas came into view surrounded by a crowd of people. Someone had caught their entire interaction on video. He watched Thomas lean down and ask for his name. He watched himself pass out. He watched Thomas catch him and lay him down. He watched himself wake up and try to sit up, only to fall back down. He watched himself have a conversation with Thomas before he and Patton helped him up. The crowd applauded, and the video ended.</p><p>Virgil would have been mortified if it weren’t for a couple of factors. Most importantly, there was nothing to reveal that he and Thomas were soulmates. The camera hadn’t quite been at the correct angle to catch the name on his hand. There was also too much noise from the crowd for the microphone to pick up their conversation, so at least that was still private. The worst part was that, even over the noise of the crowd, Patton could be heard yelling his name as he fainted. So anyone who knew him—like Logan—would be able to identify him in the video, but there probably wasn’t enough information about him for people who didn’t know him to be able to find him.</p><p>“It’s of me and Thomas meeting. Someone in the crowd was recording us the whole time.”</p><p>Patton gasped. “Did they get a shot of your hand?”</p><p>“No, Thomas is safe.”</p><p>Patton sighed in relief.</p><p>“You also can’t hear him calling me ‘Storm Cloud,’ so that’s good.” Virgil shook his head. “I’m not happy about it, but it could have been a lot worse.”</p><p>“Welcome to having a famous soulmate, I guess.”</p><p>Virgil remembered what Thomas had said about Rony Rayn posing as his soulmate being a good thing, so at least Virgil could maintain his privacy. All of a sudden, he found that he was grateful for it. “I guess.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think this is a good place to end the story for now (key words being "for now" because I still have more ideas for this). But the major conflicts have been resolved: Virgil and Roman met, and Virgil is in a good place about their relationship and about someone else pretending to be Roman's soulmate, and Roman finally got Patton's name right!</p><p>I need to figure out where I want to go from here. Once I do some thinking, I might add more chapters to this fic, or I might make a sequel. I need to figure that out, too.</p><p>I also still need to finish the story from Day Twelve, the one where you meet your soulmate in your dreams. I think that will be two more chapters, so my goal is to finish those chapters before the end of September.</p><p>That's where I'm at! Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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